


Alice & Blödhgarm

by Phoenyx634



Category: The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Dragons, Drama, Elf/Human Relationship(s), F/M, Fantasy, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2020-07-28 17:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 33,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20067520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenyx634/pseuds/Phoenyx634
Summary: This fic is gradually being ported over from Fanfiction.netBlödhgarm finds epic love when he meets Alice, a young woman with a dark secret from her past. Together they will fight to save Alagaesia from the Mad King. But even if they succeed, how can there be a happy ending between a mortal human and an ageless elf?





	1. Prequel: Alice Down the Hole

**Author's Note:**

> Author Note: Alice is a year or two older than Eragon, and this fanfic starts diverging from major plot events in the books by Paolini from the end of Eldest and into Brisingr. Please enjoy and comment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About nine years prior to the events of 'Eragon'...

There once lived a young girl in the castle of Urubaen, granddaughter of one of the nobles at court. At the age of 9 years, she loved to sing and dance and laugh, but also possessed a strong curiosity about all things (which only the most intelligent young children do).

One evening, she strayed from the feast that the other nobles were occupied with, to seek entertainment elsewhere. Her grandfather was a wise man (who knew much more about secret and forbidden things than anyone present could have guessed, even the King), and saw her leave. He made no move to stop her, only heaving a long-suffering sigh. What harm could come to a young girl in a single evening?

Alice ran to the kitchens, where she crawled under the tables and past the ovens and, dodging cooks and serfs, made her way to the kitchen boy that was her usual companion in all her castle adventures. With a wary glance to the head cook, preoccupied on the other end of the kitchens, the kitchen boy grabbed her hand and pulled her out the back door.

"You took forever to get here!" he complained. "Well, anyway... I've got something good to show you." He stated conspiratorially, with a smile filled with all the superiority that came with being her senior by one year. He led her down a few corridors and around a corner and then ducked behind some heavy drapes. "It's here," He announced, "I found a secret passage, see?"

"Where?" demanded Alice, eyes sparkling with excitement. She followed him, but it was dark behind the heavy material.

He guided her hand to press it against the wall. Alice could feel the contours of a grate with bars covering an entrance, about knee-high from the floor. Crouching down, she sensed an expanse of air beyond the grate. A faint wind, smelling of damp and ash and rust, pressed gently into her face. She tugged at the grate. "It's blocked!" she hissed, disappointed. But the boy shook his head, "It's rusty, see? Just scrape away at the edges with this," he pulled a blunt carving knife out of his trousers pocket, "So we can get through."

"Why don't you do it?" she asked pointedly. He was a boy after all, and a servant. Above all, he was bigger than she was and had stronger hands, though she'd never have admitted that.

"Too scared to get your dress dirty?" he sneered. Alice hit him, and the heavy tapestry moved against the wall as they had a brief tussle. A patrolling footsoldier looked at the moving cloth with one eyebrow cocked, then decided that the strange things kids get up to wasn't his problem. He walked past, whistling, and the hall was deserted again.

"No need to be mean!" huffed Alice, indignantly.

"I have to get back to the kitchens, but when service is done tonight we can work on it together, okay." He said, unperturbed, and released her from the headlock he'd had her trapped in.

"Fine." She pouted. They came out from behind the tapestry and he handed the knife to her. The boy turned to walk back to the kitchen, but then paused and called out, "Hey, if you get through, _wait for me,_ okay?"

Alice barely heard. With one last dither, the kitchen boy turned and ran back to the kitchens, trusting that she couldn't possibly get into too much trouble in the remaining hour or two before the end of the feast.

But the grate broke quicker than expected. Within ten minutes, Alice was staring down the dark hole. Without hesitation or even a backward glance, she crawled in, and the drape swung shut behind her, settling quickly, as if she'd never even existed.

At the feast in the castle's grand ballroom, the Mad King laughed and drank his wine, comfortable and complacent with his power.

And the little girl struck out bravely into the darkness, unaware that she was on the brink of changing Alagaesia's destiny forever.


	2. Prequel: An Unexpected Discovery

The tunnel was dark and narrow, and filled with unpleasant smells. This was in no way surprising, as it was an old section of the general-purpose drainage shaft that ran through the levels of the castle, right to the caves at the base of the castle.

It was dark, and once the wall hanging had settled behind Alice, the air was quite stifling. It reeked of damp, ash and rotting food. Holding her nose with one hand, Alice steeled her mind. She was going to try to do some magic that her grandfather had recently taught her (the only thing basic enough for a child to learn) against his permission. She had sworn a binding oath in the ancient language (stumbling over the foreign words several times until he was satisfied the oath would stick) that she would never use magic when he wasn't around until she was older. She knew the dangers of magic well; if not controlled properly, it could soon run rampant and do things you didn't intend, or consume all of your life-energy. However, she was committed to this journey of exploration, whatever the consequences, and didn't consider herself to be outside of her grandfather's presence, anyway. He was still technically in the same building. Her interpretation of the oath was all that mattered. She carefully intoned the short spell, enunciating clearly, holding in her mind her intention, and found and drew upon the fiery knot of energy from within. As she opened her eyes, she was cheered by the sight of her shaky little were-light, which hovered over her outstretched palm.

(In the grand hall, her grandfather shifted in his seat, as if feeling a sudden itch. He excused himself quietly from his companions, a heavy frown stealing over his face. As he left the hall unobtrusively, his eyes flickered from side to side, betraying his concern, as if to see through the walls themselves.)

After about twenty minutes of travelling down the tunnel, Alice stopped a moment to rest. The tunnel was seemingly endless, and she had reached a crucial point when she could make a decision. If she turned around now, she may have enough time to run to the rooms she shared with her grandfather, change her clothes and rejoin the feast before the end. If she continued, she would be missed and get in trouble, and may not have anything to show for it. She sighed wearily and leaned against the slimy wall of the tunnel, wiping sweat from her forehead. The wavering were-light silently extinguished in her hand when she lost concentration and she stifled the immediate feeling of claustrophobia and panic in the all-consuming darkness.

She took a deep breath and tried to muster the will to relight the magic. It had been tough going through the tunnel so far; although she was roughly the same height as the tunnel, it was irregularly bricked and there were many opportunities for her to bump her head or trip up over the protruding stones. In addition, the tunnel twisted and turned many times, but always descended. Occasionally other drainage tunnels fed into it, but she persevered on the largest, main tunnel, scared that she may lose her way and be trapped forever.

As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and her breathing slowed, she realised that it wasn't _entirely_ dark; further down the tunnel there a faint orange light, such as a distant, flickering flame. Also, there was a sound she had not noticed while she was moving. It was a type of echoing rumble, that one seems to _feel_ rather than hear, as though the air itself was shivering.

For the first time that night, Alice felt the cold pangs of real fear strike her heart. For a moment she stood, frozen. She turned to look back the way she'd come, but it was only a yawning void of darkness. She looked back towards the faint light and bit her lip. But it was not her nature to deliberate long, so the fear sent her forward. The act of moving gave her more purpose and confidence, and she sped up, hoping to escape the dreadful tunnel as soon as possible.

As she sped around a corner, abruptly the tunnel ended, and her feet, shod in the fine slippers of a young noble, could not find purchase on the slimy bricks as she tried to stop. With a small shriek, she fell out of the tunnel opening to the stony ground of a massive cave floor.

On the ground with the breath knocked out of her, she immediately realised that the sound was much louder and closer. The light was coming from a flaming torch in an iron bracket fixed to a wall nearby. Behind the torch was a staircase, roughly hewn from the wall of the cavern, and leading up to a large reinforced door. It was the only light around, and now that she had looked directly at it, the rest of the cavern was a mass of shadows and strange shapes. She ran to the light and stood in its halo of light nervously. She was very conscious that whatever else was in the enormous cavern could clearly see her when she could not see _it_.

And she was also certain that there was something else there with her.

As her breathing slowed, she realised that she surely must be somewhere near the dungeons of the castle. With light steps, she ran up the worn stone stairs to the door, but as she expected, it was completely closed, and worse still, there didn't seem to be a handle on this side. She considered shouting through the door, but it looked so solid that she didn't think it would make a difference. She descended the steps slowly, watchful of the shadows.

Was that a massive shape moving, or the deceptive flickering of the torch?

The only other exit was the tunnel she had arrived from, but it was too high for her to reach. Her only hope was to find something to stand on to reach the ledge, or an alternative, third exit. Either way, this meant venturing into the darkness, alone. She looked at the torch, but it was also too high for her to reach. Silently she cursed her small stature (so different from only a short while ago, when she had felt a foolish sense of pride from her smallness!) and conjured up the were-light again. As if reflecting her uncertainty, it seemed very fragile and weak. She glared at it until it grew stronger, and then stepped out into the shadows.

She had only taken a few steps when she noticed, directly in front of her, there was a gigantic eye. It belonged to a gigantic black, scaly head, which was resting flat on the floor of the cavern, yet the topmost spike still managed to tower high above her head. That gigantic eye was molten gold and in the were-light, seemed icy cold and menacing. It was focused on her, and she felt pinned to the spot. It was the ferocious glare of a wild animal, about to attack.

She'd only heard stories about the legendary beast, but she knew instantly who this was.

She managed to whisper, in a strangled exhalation, "_Shruikan_...?"


	3. The First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the start of the main storyline, and takes place some weeks before the Battle of the Burning Plains (which happens at the end of Eldest).

_10 years later..._

Blödhgarm gingerly sniffed the weak ale in the tankard in front of him and stifled a shudder of disgust. Was this weak brew really what the humans gulped down _every day_ with such enthusiasm? He could not see the appeal. Then again, it was hard to come to terms with most of the strange and pointless customs of the malodorous horde which surrounded him.

He was especially aware of this in the smoky interior of this crowded inn, the location of his newest assignment. He was expected to discover an agent of the King in Lithgow, a Surdan town that was a crucial waypoint of the Varden's supply train from Melian to the border. Someone was tampering with supplies: spoiling food, damaging new weapons, poisoning bread and so on, and it had been traced back to this town. The fact that no one had witnessed anything strange, despite the supplies being guarded day and night meant that it was suspected a particularly powerful magician was involved.

And so Blödhgarm, sent by Queen Islanzadi, was expected to discover this person (or persons), and eliminate the threat. He did not object to the mission (he had time on his hands while the Shadeslayer was undergoing dragon-rider training in Ellesmera) but he found it hard to be in such close proximity to these _humans_, away from his own kind.

Yet blend in he must. With a grimace he took a large gulp of the liquid, grateful at the completeness of anonymity that his heavy cowl afforded him. After three days of searching, he was quite at a loss at where to look. The next load of supplies were expected to be smuggled through the city under heavy guard at the end of the week, leaving him only a few days more to find the enemy's magician. Uninspired, he had decided to stake out the popular taverns in the area in the hopes of overhearing or sensing a magician. Three hours had yielded nothing of interest, and he was just about to give up in disgust and leave, when his elf-ears finally picked up something interesting.

"... _weren't followed?_" it was a hushed voice - a woman's voice. He tensed and closed his eyes, focusing on blocking out the din of the tavern.

"_I was careful._" an older male voice answered calmly, barely audible.

"_Good. Did you find out where the ambush will happen?_" The voice was hushed, female, and came from a barmaid at the far end of the room. Blödhgarm slowly turned and raised his head to look at her, all his senses tingling.

The human (and she was young, she can't have seen more than 20 winters, he mused) was taking a small piece of paper from a hooded and cloaked figure. His cowl obscured his face, much as Blödhgarm's did. The girl glanced surreptitiously at the note, while casually wiping a glass. Within a few moments, the note was tucked away into a pocket of her apron.

"_Now that you know, what will you do?_" the man said quietly.

She put the glass down and gave him a knowing look. "_The caravan arrives in three days._ _You know what I must do._" 

The man was silent.

She smiled slightly, "_You won't tell me to stop?_"

He sighed, then stated quietly, "_Be careful._"

The figure nodded and strode out of the tavern into the night.

Blödhgarm focused on the young woman. She looked quite ordinary, if a little on the skinny side. She had pale blue eyes and the far-off look of a dreamer. Her hair was just longer than shoulder length, tied up in a faded purple band, and she wore no form of make-up, unlike many human females who seemed to enjoy drowning themselves in powders and rouge. She was also clean, which was perhaps the strangest thing since another disgusting custom of these peasant humans was to bathe only every month or so. Taking all of this into account: she didn't belong.

Blodhgarm considered going out after the man to question him but discarded this idea almost immediately. He did not know the situation, who these people were or what their goal was. Clearly, the easier target was the girl, who may be persuaded to talk. He stood up, abandoning the vile ale, and walked over to the bar, lowering his cowl as he did so.

On his way over, he tracked her movements, which seemed very ordinary... except, did that candle on the back shelf of the bar just light itself as her hand briefly brushed past it?

Immediately Blödhgarm reinforced his already impenetrable mental shields, allowing no trace of his thoughts to leak out. This was very interesting.

He sauntered over and sat down at the bar in front of her. She looked up at him from wiping the surface, seeming preoccupied. For a moment her expression faltered, her eyes widening. Then she mustered herself and smiled charmingly as if nothing were amiss.

"Can I get you anything, Sir?" she asked sweetly. "Some ale, perhaps?"


	4. Alice & Blödhgarm

Alice felt a little flustered when the tall man sat down at the bar. For a moment she was quiet, her expression slipping as she wondered why she felt so off-kilter. Then she suddenly realised; he wasn't human, although the disguise was almost flawless. With that knowledge, she rallied herself. "Can I get you anything, Sir?" she asked him. "Some ale, perhaps?"

Now that she had noticed it, the alien-ness of him was impossible to ignore. _Just like the arrogance of elves,_ she thought wryly, _to blithely believe that humans were incapable of seeing through the great "elvish" deceptions_. Although herself excluded, his disguise probably ensured he was safe from detection by the geniuses which frequented _this_ joint.

In spite of herself, she felt a tremor of excitement mingled with trepidation. He was tall and muscular, even for an elf (one could tell despite the heavy clothing). Not blacksmith muscular, but muscular like a warrior, with a warrior's proud posture and grace. His hair, visible around the edges of his cowl, was thick and chaotic, so dark it seemed to have a blueish tinge to it, in contrast to his lightly tanned, flawless face. Dark eyebrows framed large, sharp grey eyes above cheekbones that weren't in _quite_ the right place for a human. He was very handsome, maybe even ridiculously handsome. She tried to avoid staring, yet her wayward thoughts could not help wondering what he looked like when not in disguise. When he spoke next, in a deep yet melodious voice, she noticed, despite herself, that his large eyes had golden flecks in them. They were definitely _not_ natural.

"I'm not looking for a drink." He stated in a deep, musical voice. His eyes didn't leave her face, and she felt a flush coming over her under his scrutiny. Also, was she going crazy, or did he also _smell_ absolutely amazing?

"Well," she replied lightly, "You don't enjoy the ale then?" _Too used to elderberry and lime flavoured mountain springwater, eh, Elf_? She thought privately, and her polite smile stretched a little wider.

"I've had better. " he admitted. His voice was casual, yet he obviously knew she was not a normal barmaid. She decided to cut the crap.

"I'm afraid we don't stock _faelnirv_." She said bluntly, keeping her expression bland.

Blödhgarm was surprised, but knew better than to show it. He smiled at her, showing his teeth, which was the only aspect of his appearance he hadn't altered for his disguise. They were still shaped like the sharp canines of wolves. It had the desired effect, and the girl's faint air of smugness disappeared instantly. She swallowed hard.

"So, what gave me away?" he asked conversationally. Under the rim of the bar his hand lightly rested on a hidden elvish blade.

Alice tried to stop staring at his fanged mouth as he talked. _Damn, his eyes are even more distracting! _She thought in dismay. "Um, well..." she shrugged, "I guess just in general.." she gestured vaguely at him.

"Ah." He said, then leaned in closer. She tried to breathe through her mouth - it was less distracting. "So how did a barmaid in Lithgow learn magic?"

Her eyes widened, and she smiled a little sheepishly, "What gave me away?" she echoed his words.

"Candle." He replied smoothly. "Are you going to answer me?" the words were friendly, yet the implied threat was clear, and his eyes seemed to grow a shade darker.

Alice considered her next words carefully. She wasn't aware of any elves on the side of the Enemy, but that wasn't a sure guarantee. If he _was_ an enemy, he would kill her. There was no way she could escape a gifted elvish magician (and his confidence made her believe he must be very powerful indeed), so that only left her with one rational choice; tell the truth.

"I am a spy, working in secret to aid the Varden." She stated quietly. She glanced around, but at this time of night, no one in the room was sober enough to pay any heed to them. Even quieter, so that no ears but elvish ones could hear, she whispered softly a binding statement in the ancient language.

Under the table, Blödhgarm finally let go of the hilt of his dagger. "I am not an ally of King Galbatorix" as a sworn oath, was enough proof for him of her allegiance. He lightly brushed over her mind, to see if he could detect any secretive thoughts, but found her mind subtlely yet powerfully shielded. Protocol was to examine the minds of spies, but Blödhgarm had never enjoyed the invasiveness of it and trusted his instincts over arbitrary rules. Something about this girl set his heart at ease and lessened his discomfort at being in a human town. He was alone no longer.

Seeing his posture relax, she nodded. "If you would prefer, we can continue this discussion in a more private place?"

"Lead the way." He replied. Alice began untying her apron. "By the way," he added, "My name is Blödhgarm."

She smiled at him, and led the way out of the tavern and into the cold night air, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Alice."


	5. Prequel: What Happened to Alice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of what happened to Alice 10 years ago...

Lord Alaric strode with quickening steps towards the servants' wing and the kitchens. Where was that damn grandchild of his? She was always running off, getting into trouble... and it was always because of that scrawny little guttersnipe, that kitchen boy...

"Paldir!" he snarled as he entered the kitchen. The frenetic movement of the cooks and servants instantly ground to a halt, while all the staff stared at the imposing man.

"M-My Lord," murmured the head cook, and bowed hastily. There was a flurry of activity as everyone else in the room did the same.

"Where is he?" he thundered, glaring around the room.

A small figure was trying to edge out of the far door at the other side of the room, but the nearest cook grabbed him by the collar and dragged him forcibly over to Lord Alaric.

The boy looked sulkily at the toes peeping out of his ragged shoes.

"Where is she, Paldir? Answer me!" Lord Alaric demanded.

Paldir didn't look up, preferring not to meet the angry stare of the older man. "I dunno..." the boy mumbled mutinously and shuffled on the spot.

Lord Alaric roughly grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and yanked him out of the room, away from the cooks, who were now hiding their whispers and smiles behind their hands. As the youngest kitchen boy, Paldir was the lowest-ranked in the kitchen and often got up to mischief. More often, he was blamed for things he didn't do; it was a common practice for the lowest servant to get the fall for misdemeanours of the general staff. As the bastard son of a maid who was executed for thievery in the castle, his social standing was even lower than most in his position, and he wasn't allowed to forget it.

If Lord Alaric had been aware of this, perhaps he would have been more sympathetic. But all he saw was the sullen, dirty youth responsible for leading his precious granddaughter astray.

"Do not lie to me." He said coldly, "Where is she?"

Paldir looked nervously up at him, and cringed away from his ferocious expression. "She's f-f-fine, my Lord," he whined, "We were just playing... In the th-throne-room corridor, my Lord..." Lord Alaric saw the truth in the boy's weak mind, and fear struck him. He released Paldir, who, unbalanced, fell hard onto the floor with a yelp. He stepped past the prone boy without a second glance and strode down the corridor, towards the place that contained the wall-hanging Paldir had remembered.

Paldir stared after him, confused and also relieved that he had escaped without a beating. But no doubt the head cook would punish him in Lord Alaric's place, for disrupting service and fraternising with nobility. Head hung low, he returned reluctantly to the kitchens. But his thoughts were with Alice. _Where was she?_

* * *

Alice stared into the eyes of the beast, frozen in terror. Her were-light blew out like a candle as she lost concentration, but at this distance she could still see the dragon's eye glinting in the dim light from the torch behind her. She stumbled back as it raised its gigantic head at the sound of its name, and stretched out its neck. With a _thump_, Alice's bottom hit the floor as her legs turned to jelly and stopped supporting her. Those great nostrils flared and snorted hot sulphurous fumes across her face, so that she gagged. Her heart fluttered like a bird in her chest, and she felt the blood drain from her face, making her feel faint with shock.

Without warning, the enormous dragon reared up, and gave a great, earth-shattering roar. It echoed in the enormous cavern, and Alice also screamed, though her voice was lost in the enormous reverberations. Her ears rang afterwards, and she covered them with her small hands. She curled up on the sandy cavern floor in a tight ball, her eyes squeezed shut. She remained like that even after the last reverberations faded to a tense silence.

At that moment, Alice truly thought she was on the brink of death, yet as a small child, she did not yet have a clear vision of what 'death' could entail. So she simply tried to keep still, and pretend everything was going to be okay.

A vast, alien presence entered her mind, like an unstoppable tidal wave. It tore through her thoughts and memories effortlessly, until Alice felt naked and vulnerable, her mind getting tossed about from hand to hand of a giant, like dough being stretched, kneaded and pounded. For a few moments she felt her consciousness fragment and drift apart from the strength of the intelligence assaulting her mind. But then it partially withdrew, still maintaining a link to her mind. The dragon's mind felt feral, like an animal, yet also somehow sentient. She slowly sat up, and peered through her fingers at it... no, _him_... it seemed she was not going to be eaten... Yet.

A wave of confused images and emotions and meanings suddenly gushed through their connection into her mind.

_...????..._

"Whoah..." she gasped, at the strangeness of the feeling. Somehow, she felt she understood what he asked, even though no words had been used. "...How I got here?" she asked tremulously, "Well I- I was exploring that tunnel, and I fell..." she pointed over her shoulder at the small drainage tunnel.

Shruikan heaved himself up and went to investigate the opening himself. He lowered his head to peer into the hole, which was about as large as his eye. Then he snorted, as if he had satisfied himself on some point or other, and stomped laboriously back to Alice. His footsteps made the cavern-floor shake.

_...????...._ he asked again, imperiously.

"Me? Oh, I'm no-one..." Alice said in a small voice.

He growled, and Alice gulped at the sight of yellowish teeth bared for a moment.

"Th-that is to say, my name is Alice...!" she amended quickly, "But I am no one... um, important."

He craned his neck at her in order to get a good look from different angles with what seemed to be fascination.

Alice gave a nervous smile, but her heartrate hadn't slowed down yet. she had no idea what he was going to do next. "You probably have never er... _talked_ to a little girl before...?" she asked.

He ignored her, but continued eyeing her with interest from every side.

Alice's smile dropped. She was very scared, and suddenly wished she was back in her quarters, safe with her grandfather. No sooner had she had this thought, than the dragon growled possessively, and swept his tail around them, so that Alice was trapped on every side by the scaly hide of the black dragon. She coughed at the dust the sudden movement had kicked up, her mouth dry.

Once the dust settled again, she looked around and saw that there was now no way out. She would have to convince the dragon to let her go: escape was impossible. But even if he _did_ let her go, there was no way out of the cavern! Faced with this insurmountable obstacle, she did what any small child would do; she started to cry.

Shruikan immediately became very perturbed by this, and shifted uncomfortably, growling again. He sent his confusion through their mental link.

...????!!!!...

Alice was too overcome to speak. But without even noticing the difference, she began to speak to him through their mental connection instead. It was feeling more and more natural.

_I'm crying because you're a dragon and I'm stuck here and I fell down the hole and no-one knows where I am and you're going to _eat_ me..._ she thought as she sobbed.

He instantly sent back a large chaotic mix of flashes of images and emotions.

...??!!...???...

Alice's sobbing grew quieter as she tried to make sense of this. _You... aren't going to eat me? No... you- you don't want to, you've already eaten today. You won't let me go because..._ she struggled to interpret this bit.

...!!!!.... he said impatiently.

_Because you're bored?_ She said sceptically. _Well, I guess_, she sniffed, and wiped her eyes, _I could stay and chat with you... if you let me go after a little while? I really do have to go back._

...!!!!!... he agreed eagerly.

Alice blinked the last of her tears away, and even managed a watery smile. She scooted to face him properly, and sat up straighter. _So, what do you want to talk about?_ She asked timidly.

* * *

Alice's grandfather, Lord Alaric, swept down the stairs towards the lowest levels of the dungeon. That foolish child! This time she really had overstepped the mark. She could endanger everything by doing this, never mind herself! If the King found out, they would both die horribly, and all his research would go to waste... He'd spent so long studying the King's abilities in secret, looking forward to the day when he could have a hand in his downfall, for it all to end now...

Throwing caution to the winds, he flung out his mind wide like a net to find the small spark of fire that was Alice's mind. He went pale and cursed as he also sensed Shruikan's mind so close to hers, and sped up. He was using powerful magic to shield himself from the view of all the guards that he passed in the passages, but it was still extremely likely that he would be discovered by the King, and that would mean the end of everything. Why couldn't she have been simply stuck in a drain somewhere, as he'd originally supposed?

At last, he came to the large oak door of the Dragon's Cave. With a few muttered magical words, the door sprang open and he entered the cavern without breaking stride.

"Alice?" he shouted, fearing he was too late.

"Grandfather?" came a faint reply. She didn't seem distressed... he peered into the gloom. What he saw next almost floored him.

Alice and Shruikan walked out of the dark side by side, keeping pace with each other. This was hard to do, as each slow step of Shruikan's required a fast trot from Alice.

"Grandfather!" Alice called again, overjoyed to see him. She then turned back to the dragon, who lowered his massive head to hers. Lord Alaric bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as he saw teeth as long as spears so close to his grandchild's head. Alice stretched out a hand and rested it on his spiny nose. They seemed to be communicating silently with each other. Saying goodbye?!

At last, Alice broke contact and ran up to her grandfather, who was still standing speechless at the door. She hugged his legs with joy to see him after all the strangeness. Shruikan took one last long look at her and Lord Alaric with one baleful, golden eye, then slowly turned and moved off into the darkness, tail dragging behind him sadly.

Wordlessly, Lord Alaric picked Alice up and swept out of the cavern. She would get a stern talking-to about this, and they weren't out of danger yet, but it could wait. He could not deny, the strongest feeling he had right now was... overwhelming pride and awe towards his grandchild.


	6. Partnership

It took them the better part of half an hour to make their way to Alice's rooms through a maze of dingy backstreets. Most of Lithgow was a large and prosperous merchant town, but like all prosperous towns, it had its fair share of vagrants, thieves and prostitutes. She was staying in the worst (and most anonymous) area of town.

It was a dark night and the moon was obscured by clouds. The roads were relatively quiet, but even so, Blödhgarm could feel eyes on them as they eventually entered a ramshackle three-storey building.

As they entered the room on the top floor, Alice muttered a simple release spell for the wards she had on the door. Blödhgarm walked into the cramped room and looked about him with interest, his eyes adjusting instantly to the gloom. The room was sparsely furnished; just an uncomfortable-looking bed and a small table and chair. Alice's only personal possessions seemed to be a medium-sized wooden chest on the table (warded with a simple spell that would conceal the chest from most _humans_, he was sure), and a few items of plain clothing scattered around the room. A travelling satchel was flung over the back of the chair.

Alice bustled around, lighting the dirty lamp that hung from the bare rafters and picking up the clothes, muttering to herself about the unexpectedness of his visit. She shoved the satchel off the chair and pushed it out for her guest. Blödhgarm sat down, shedding his heavy cloak as he did so.

When Alice finally finished tidying up and turned around, she had a shock.

"Whoah." She breathed, and stared at him. Sometime during their walk over, Blödhgarm had undone the enchantments on his face, returning his elvish features to their proper places. But Alice could not recall hearing him say a word the whole way - had he used magic non-verbally? As far as she knew, not using spoken gramarye to shape intention and direct the flow of magic was almost impossible - and most certainly risky. The smallest slip of concentration could be catastrophic. She couldn't recall ever meeting anyone with the skill and mental fortitude to do such a thing. Clearly, this was one elf not to be messed with.

"Have you never seen an elf before?" he asked with a hint of smugness.

"I have never seen an elf... _quite_ like you." She qualified and tried to stop staring. It was hard.

His entire face (and, she assumed, the rest of him too) was covered in a thick coat of dark blueish fur, which somehow enhanced the features of his face rather than hid them; the direction of the fur emphasized the sharp elvish angles of his face. His teeth seemed more prominent, white in the otherwise dark face, the tips of his fangs showing slightly when his face was still, then were startlingly apparent when he spoke. The hair was very short where it flowed from the middle of his face, then got longer at the edges to blend into a chaotic rippling mane, and also tapered up to cover his delicate leaf-shaped ears. Most riveting of all was his large yellow eyes under a high brow; intense and direct. Although the effect was unsettling, she had to admit... it suited him. Her eyes fell on a speck of dust which had settled on the glossy fur on the side of his strong neck, and her fingers twitched.

Blödhgarm gave a short laugh at her expression, his white fangs flashing in his dark-furred face. Instantly Alice felt her lips pulling up in response - his laugh was strangely infectious.

"You've taken some inspiration from nature, I see," She remarked, somewhat breathlessly, and sat down on the bed, facing him. "Bloodwolf..." she caught herself and flushed slightly. "Forgive me, my curiosity is making me forget my manners-"

"Not at all," he said, his tone now an indulgent purr. He tilted his head and regarded her patiently, "If you have questions, please ask."

Alice suddenly got the impression he rather _wanted_ her to ask him about his appearance. Her eye caught the speck of dust again.

_He is proud_, she realised, and clasped her hands firmly in her lap, ignoring the speck with some difficulty. She smiled, "Well, since you say so. What came first, the name, or your appearance?"

"Aspects of my appearance have always tended to mimic features in nature, since I was a child." he replied, "The name came later, when I started to enhance the features I found pleasing."

"So, the wolf...?"

"Of course. They are the most noble of animals. Also the forest cat, and the eagle."

"Fascinating." Alice said honestly. She reluctantly tried to pull herself back to the issue at hand. "I'd love to hear more about it sometime... but perhaps we should leave that for later."

He nodded. "Indeed. I'm equally curious about you - how is it you know gramarye?" His eyes flickered towards the 'hidden' chest. "It seems you have some skill."

Alice felt a tickling of annoyance at his somewhat dismissive tone, but kept her expression mild. "I wasn't expecting to have to hide my secrets from elves on this trip," she responded drily, folding her arms. "I am competent, I assure you."

"_Is that so?_" he effortlessly switched to the ancient language and cocked a challenging eyebrow, "_My interest is piqued even further, if you are not exaggerating._"

She sat a little straighter but did not back down from the challenge. "_I've had good teachers._" she replied in the same language, without a beat - she was just about fluent in conversational gramarye (although she was sure her accent must seem provincial at best to an expert spellcaster like him). She was still studying the written and more complex forms of the language, but she knew more than enough to get by.

"_And who was your teacher?_" he asked, clearly impressed by her response.

"_Someone unrelated to my current mission_," she responded without batting an eye. She switched back to the common tongue. It felt more comfortable. "I have studied the healing arts, mainly, but I have sufficient mastery of the basics in other areas, too."

She could tell he was burning to know more, but he let her evasiveness go for the moment, and also switched back to common. "And you are a Varden agent? Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but it is unusual to find someone of your... age... engaging in dangerous espionage - alone."

_Hmph, he means it's unusual for a young _human_ female_, she thought privately, somewhat peeved. _Well, I suppose he is right._

"It's... complicated." She said hesitantly. "When I joined the Varden, they originally employed me as a healer. But I heard that they were tracking a group of Galbatorix's pet magicians, one of whom is known to me..." she looked down at her hands, her expression darkening slightly. "I have personal reasons for going after them."

"I too am after the magician, or magicians, responsible for interfering with the Varden's supply train while it passes through here. This seems to have been going on for almost a month."

She looked up again. "Then we _are_ after the same people. I tracked them here from Melian, and since then I've been trying to get information on their movements. Once I knew enough, I was meant to get the information to the Varden, so that they could send backup. Lady Nasuada insisted on knowing exactly where they are before sending out a team of spellcasters, who are needed on the front lines. But they won't make it in time. I finally know exactly where they are hiding: the problem is, they won't be there for much longer." She took out the note she had received in the tavern, and handed it to Blödhgarm.

He smoothed out the crinkled scrap of paper and read the note, while Alice stared at his long fingers, which she noticed for the first time, had sharp, curved claws on them.

The note read: "_Third floor Governor's house. Plans to leave at end of week. Confirmed sighting of target_."

"Who would this 'target' be?"

"The one spellcaster I have a bit of a history with." Alice explained, "But it's of little consequence who he is," she added quickly.

_A little_ too_ quickly, perhaps?_ Blödhgarm thought privately, _Is she hiding something?_

"Well, this is helpful." Blödhgarm said with a smile, "You and your informants... I assume we can trust them?... seem to have done all my work for me."

Alice grinned at him. She was happy that he was here, to take care of the spellcasters while they were within reach. Perhaps her mission could, at last, come to a successful conclusion. "Will you help me deal with them, while they are here?" she asked eagerly.

"If everything is as you say it is, then this is the best opportunity I will have, before they disappear again."

"I trust my sources." She stated simply. "If the note says they are staying at the Governor's house - of all places! - then that's where they'll be. But we can verify the information tomorrow, if you'd like."

Blödhgarm nodded. "I'd like that. Tell me what you know of these magicians so far."

Alice nodded, "As I mentioned, I only know of one of them, their leader... He is the most dangerous, I'd imagine the others are strictly small-time. His name is Paldir." Her voice now took on a bitter quality. "If you can kill him, take the opportunity. He follows Galbatorix not because of some arbitrary oath, but because he believes in his cause." She met Blödhgarm's eyes squarely. "Don't underestimate him."

He nodded. He wondered what their story was, but it didn't seem prudent to ask. She didn't seem inclined to offer further details.

He decided to let it go, for now. "Then we will meet tomorrow at dawn, say, outside the tavern again? It's relatively close to the Governor's house, and the warehouses where the supplies are stored. I want to check them out too."

"Okay." Alice agreed readily.

"You know," Blödhgarm said slowly, watching her reaction, "I'm pretty sure I can take care of this alone, when the time comes."

Alice looked at him with a hint of alarm. _Interesting._

"You could go back to being a healer," he said idly, "And leave this 'Paldir' for me to take care of. Rest assured, I can get the job done."

Alice looked like she was considering her next words carefully. "I don't doubt that! It's just... after spending so much time investigating this group, I feel that it is my responsibility to see it through to the end. You know how it is."

Blödhgarm, expressionless, searched her face. She remained silent, a hint of stubbornness firming her jaw.

After what seemed an age, he broke eye contact and smiled, somewhat resigned. The tension slowly seeped out of the air between them. "Alright then. We'll come up with a plan tomorrow, together." He stood up and took his coat.

Alice opened the door, looking slightly relieved.

"I am staying in the forest next to town for the night, or what's left of it." Blödhgarm told her. This startled Alice out of her reverie.

"Oh! Well, you are welcome to stay here if it's more convenient...?" she offered hurriedly.

"No, that's alright." He declined politely, "You hardly have enough space for yourself, and anyway, I prefer the calmness of being surrounded by nature."

He looked away. "The trees and grasses murmur their secrets to me in my waking dreams, and the natural light and scents and shadows effortlessly mask my presence..."

Alice was getting distracted now, by the musical quality of his voice, and the way the light was catching his profile. And the air from the stairwell was blowing his scent towards her, making her thoughts jump in inappropriate directions. She was very nearly salivating - what was wrong with her?!

_Get a grip, Alice!_ she told herself sternly. 

He turned and grinned, as if guessing her thoughts. "Until tomorrow." He said with a sinful chuckle, and walked away. Alice blinked and tried to wipe the inane expression off her face.

As he reached the door at the bottom of the stairs, she suddenly burst out without thinking, "Hold on one second!" and came up to him quickly. She was red-faced and held out a hesitant hand. He looked at her in surprise.

"You have... um, a bit of dust..." she gestured, her face turning a charming shade of red.

His surprise turned to amusement. He tilted his head, a clear invitation.

After a moment's hesitation, she stretched out her fingers and softly ran her fingers through the luxurious fur at his neck, picking out the speck and then lingering there for a few moments, before withdrawing her hand. "Uh, hm... all done." she said, awkward now.

"Thank you." he murmured, eyes dancing with laughter. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Down on street level again, Blödhgarm paused in the shadow of the doorway to put on his heavy coat. For a few milliseconds, his fingers rested almost unconsciously on the spot where her fingertips had touched him. Then he shook his head, as if to clear away some troublesome thought, and left.


	7. The Warehouse

Alice and Blödhgarm strolled around the empty warehouse on Emerald Avenue, a dead-end road off the city centre. The early morning sunlight filtered through the shabby crooked slats of the walls, making the dust motes dance in the air as they moved around. The warehouse was empty except for a few hay-bales and some old rusted farming equipment. The hay bales and some empty crates were stacked up against one wall, covered in an undisturbed layer of thick dust. However, behind this façade of disuse and disrepair, its real purpose as the Varden's secret storehouse for specialized equipment was apparent. Goods that were hard to manufacture, like specialized armour and magically-enhanced food for the army, was kept here briefly on its way to the Surdan border. This was one of very few stops along the journey, and its purpose was ironically to count and check the supplies, to make sure they were undamaged and all accounted for, before repacking them for the next stage of the journey. It was also the point at which Galbatorix's minions somehow managed to tamper with the items, damaging the efficiency of the army in the long run.

Blödhgarm knew that the stakes were higher than simply some damaged armour. He wouldn't have been sent if there wasn't something big afoot; if the enemy was tampering with Varden supplies without being caught, and they were powerful spell-casters, then the possibilities were endless as to what mischief could be caused. The Varden had suffered some unexpected losses recently- ambushes that weren't surprising to the enemy, sudden lethargy by the soldiers causing disproportionate losses, and the like. If Blödhgarm had to guess, he would say it was most likely there were tracking spells on the armour, or energy-draining curses. And if the magicians weren't stopped, who knew? Maybe the next thing would be an outbreak of some magically-induced plague. They had to be stopped.

Cleverly concealed on the warehouse floor were three large trap-doors which, though empty now, would be filled with the Varden's supplies in just two more days.

Blödhgarm crouched on the ground above the trapdoors and inhaled deeply, eyes closed. Alice turned away from her inspection of the crates to watch him. Without a doubt, the magicians had been here before. He'd already caught their scent from the Governor's House, which they'd staked out earlier that morning. They had climbed a roof adjacent to the large and imposing Governor's House in secret, and then watched the windows of the upper floors, where Alice's source had told them the magicians were staying. Sure enough, as the first stalls of the town market below opened shop, the curtains of one of the upper rooms were pulled back, and a young man with an arrogant face looked out impassively at the people milling around in the square below the House. Alice had stiffened next to Blödhgarm, and for a moment her expression was dark, as if remembering some terrible pain. "That's him." She'd hissed. Paldir obviously had no idea of the possibility that he may be being watched, and stood there in plain view for quite some time, as he talked to someone else behind him. Blödhgarm had muttered a spell which would let a breeze carry his words to them, but even as he did so, Paldir turned and vanished. However, Blödhgarm had at least managed to get his scent from this encounter.

Blödhgarm looked around the warehouse speculatively. Somehow, between the time the supplies arrived here and left the next morning in covered wagons, they were being tampered with. But the supplies were handled by guards both times in loading and unloading, so surely goods that were tampered with would be noticed by the packers before the wagons were sealed and left?

"Look here," said Alice excitedly. She was still standing over by the wall of crates. "These boxes look like they are shifted right up against the wall, but they actually aren't." She stepped behind the crates and vanishes. "There is enough space for several people to stand, hidden."

Blödhgarm also peered in. "Less dust, too." He remarked. He smiled knowingly. "Peculiar, isn't it?" He'd obviously figured it out. "Well," he said loudly, "I've seen enough. This is where I will be laying the ambush."

Alice's answering smile faltered slightly, "Not- not at the Governor's House?"

"It's too public." He answered firmly, "Things may get messy if civilians are involved."

Alice nodded. "Afterwards, we should search their quarters."

"That's a good idea... is there something specific you're after?" he asked. His smile was gone. She was being evasive again.

"No... nothing in particular." She said vaguely as if losing interest in the conversation. "So what is the plan?" she asked, changing the subject.

Blödhgarm was starting to feel slightly annoyed. She was obviously hiding something from him. While her thoughts were well-guarded, he could get a general sense of her feelings from brushing past her mind, but he could detect no trace of malice, only cautiousness. Also, he'd noticed that when she was being deliberately evasive, a slightly dreamy expression came over her face, which he found difficult to distrust. Her eyes seemed extra bright and innocent, and well... kind of cute, though it pained him to admit it of a mere slip of a human girl. She was a child compared to him, it was true, but he'd felt nothing but respect for the way she had conducted herself so far. She was almost as hard to read at times as... well, as an elf.

He sighed. As they walked out of the warehouse, he started to explain his theory, "Okay, here's the plan..."


	8. Ambush

_2 days later..._

Paldir and his five henchmen arrived at the warehouse shortly before midnight. Confidently, Paldir walked up to the three guards at the closed door of the warehouse, who drew their swords and blocked his way.

"Stop right there, m'lad!" ordered the most senior guard, "What business do you have here?"

"Aren't you expecting me?" replied Paldir in a voice of polite disbelief, "Of course, we _are_ expected."

The three guards seemed confused for a few moments. Briefly, they seemed on the verge of speaking. Then their faces took on an expression of calm placidity, and they stood back to allow the magicians in.

Once inside, they stopped and fanned out silently, facing the interior. The warehouse was crawling with soldiers busy taking the supplies (which had arrived earlier that day) out of the secret caches under the floorboards, to pack them into wagons. There were even two spellcasters from the Varden, there to place wards on the wagons before they left. As soon as Paldir and his spellcasters stepped inside, the two Varden spellcasters turned to them, eyes wide, colour draining out of their faces as they instantly realised the danger.

Paldir narrowed his eyes at them, and muttered a short phrase in the ancient language. The two spellcasters clutched at their throats in a panic, but couldn't say anything.

"Hey!" shouted one of the guards, noticing at last. He dropped the crate he was carrying, and it burst open. Helmets and other pieces of armour rolled across the floor. Before the last piece had come to a halt, however, a similar thing had occurred to everyone in the room that had happened to the guards outside. Every soldier in the warehouse had frozen, silent, confused.

"We are here to help with the packing." Announced Paldir cheerfully.

The soldier that had dropped the crate attempted to resist the mental assault. "But..." he said sluggishly, "What happened to Merven and... and..." he peered at the magicians, who were still clawing at their throats, eyes rolling wildly.

"Oh, well I think they are not feeling well." Answered Paldir smoothly. He stepped over to the magicians and tapped them lightly on the shoulders. They dropped like stones to lie motionless on the ground. "It's best that they get some sleep. I always found that it helps." He explained. He raised his voice. "We're all here to help, of course. Carry on!"

With that, activity resumed, and soldiers continued their various conversations as they moved the boxes around as if nothing had happened.

Paldir motioned at the limp forms of the magicians, and his spellcasters rushed forward to drag the bodies away.

Behind the wall of crates a few metres away, Blödhgarm placed a hand on Alice's shoulder, restraining her as she started forward. "Relax," he whispered in her ear. She shivered slightly as his breath tickled her neck. "They are just sleeping."

She turned to him. "How can you tell?" she whispered back.

"This is a secret operation, they can't afford to leave a pile of bodies in their wake." He explained. "Also," he added, "I can hear their heartbeats."

Alice flushed in the dark. She hadn't thought of that: he could hear heartbeats from many metres away...? So he was probably aware of her heartbeat. How unfair. To her eternal shame, her heartrate was still speeding up, even as she realised this. And his amazing eyes could probably see her blush even in this semi-darkness.

"Focus." He whispered, "They are coming."

She pushed aside her spike of annoyance at his murmured reprimand, hearing the slight smugness in his voice.

Two of Paldir's magicians were dragging the unconscious men towards Alice and Blödhgarm's hiding place. They made the ambush ridiculously easy, as they were walking backwards, dragging the men. Blödhgarm reached out with both hands, and, in a motion that seemed so quick it was almost impossible to see, he snapped their necks. Alice bit her hand to stop herself from gasping out loud at the suddenness of it, the awful crunching sound of bone and cartilage moving in unintended ways. Blödhgarm glanced at her, eyes hooded, and dragged all four bodies, two dead, two asleep, into the cavity. Alice could tell he didn't enjoy this type of killing from the tenseness in his shoulders. She tried to swallow and focus on the task at hand, but the sick _crack_ of their necks snapping kept playing over and over in her head.

After another minute, Paldir glanced up with a frown from digging around in the contents of a crate. "What is taking those two buffoons so long?" he demanded. He rose slowly to his feet. _Maybe those magicians were tougher than I'd thought, and woken up_?

"Sedge, go see what they are up to." He ordered.

Sedge was a burly man, and no fool. He approached the hidden cavity cautiously, probing it with his mind first.

As soon as Blödhgarm felt the brush of the man's mind over his, he struck, hammering through his defences almost instantly. He took control of the man's mind and body with minimal effort. Often the secret to success was simply surprise. "Be prepared to be my back-up." Blödhgarm told Alice calmly, "In a moment, we are going out."

Paldir watched suspiciously as Sedge stopped, turned, and then walked back. His steps were somehow jerky.

Paldir strode towards him, "What's wrong now, you-"

Without warning Sedge leapt at him, swinging wildly for his face. Surprised, Paldir stumbled backwards, and lost his footing.

At the same time, Blödhgarm and Alice emerged from their hiding spot. Alice concentrated on freeing the minds of the soldiers, who were gaping at this abrupt turn of events. She touched each of their minds until she found their commanding officer, who happened to be the man that had fallen under the spell last, and had dropped the crate. Through a mental link, she quickly explained everything to him.

"What... How...!" he blustered as he realised how easily he had been fooled. He glared at Paldir and started to draw his blade. "Please," Alice said, "Take your men outside. This is a fight between spellcasters!" After a few moments of hesitation, he cursed, then started gather his men and shepard them out.

While Alice was preoccupied, Blödhgarm had not been idle. Taking advantage of Paldir's momentary surprise, he attempted to break into his mind and take control of it, but this proved to be harder than it had been with Sedge. For a moment he succeeded in breaking through, but before he could take full command of his body, Paldir managed to bark out a single word.

"_Naina_!"

It was then Blödhgarm's turn to be distracted, as the wall of crates exploded outwards with an almighty roar and a blinding flash of light. Blödhgarm snarled as jagged splinters of wood buried themselves in his back. His wards had protected him from the worst of the heat and force of the explosion, but he had no wards against splinters, no matter how big they were. His powerful eyes were blinded, but it only took him a moment to murmur the spell that restored his sight. To his chagrin, when he opened his eyes, Paldir's back was disappearing out of the far entrance. To make matters worse, the two remaining magicians (Sedge had perished in the blast) were standing in his way, and had the slightly crazed expressions of spellcasters that were nerving themselves up to die _with_ their enemy.

His eye caught Alice, who, having been near the entrance with the fleeing soldiers, had escaped the worst of the blast. She was getting up shakily. She looked over and saw Blödhgarm besieged by the two magicians. Their eyes met, then Alice's flicked away. She turned on her heel, abandoning him and ran out of the warehouse and into the night after her fleeing enemy.


	9. Trouble

Alice managed to keep a safe distance in her pursuit of Paldir as he fled in the direction of the Governor's house. He did not seem aware of her presence, but Alice could not be sure whether he had seen her in the warehouse or not, so she had to advance cautiously. He was an opponent who favoured tricks and games, after all.

As she ran through the deserted streets, using the shadows of doorways and buildings as cover, she mulled over her surprisingly mixed feelings about seeing him again. They had a complicated past, that much was certain. There was a time when Paldir had been her only friend and confidante; in a palace full of politics, he had been her rock. But the truth about his character became very apparent on _that night_, when it all happened. Because of his actions, his selfishness, his _weakness_, her grandfather, the only father-figure she'd ever have, was dead. And no matter how her heart ached for those warm feelings of friendship, she could not be distracted from her vengeance. Years of hunting had resulted in this moment, and she would not falter now. She tried desperately to stifle the feelings of guilt and shame at how she'd left Blödhgarm... the way he'd _looked_ at her as she left...

Once she reached the Governor's house, she slipped past the guards at the back door, and made her way silently to the rooms she knew Paldir was in. She could hear him banging around inside as he rapidly gathered his things to make a quick escape. Her heart in her throat, she steeled herself just outside the half-ajar door. Then she stepped through into the light.

"It's been a long time, Paldir." She said quietly. She had considered killing him from behind, but... she wanted to see his face as she did it.

He whipped around in surprise - he'd obviously not seen her at the warehouse then - but was quick to react with a malicious smile.

"Alice!" he said, "What a... _pleasant_ surprise." He took a quick step to the side and peered out of the doorway, rather nervously. Reassured she was alone, he regained his former arrogance and turned his attention back to her face.

Alice stared impassively back. Paldir was only a year or so older than her, but he looked every inch the young lord. Alice marvelled at the transformation from the skinny kitchen-boy, always biting his nails and flinching at shadows, to the pale, arrogant mage in gold-bordered robes, with neatly trimmed fingernails and an expression of haughty disdain in his clever eyes. It was in stark contrast to her own transformation; she's gone from pampered noble girl to a too-skinny young woman with dirt under her nails and the weight of the world on her shoulders.

For a moment, they stared at each other, wondering who would make the first move. Without a change of expression, except for a slight tightening of his jaw, Paldir launched an all-out assault on her mind. Alice, too, had no change of expression, and seemed almost annoyed at his efforts. With almost no exertion, she struck out mentally and, for a few precious moments, Paldir could not move, as if glued to the floorboards.

Her eyes darkened. Without warning she crossed the room in three light steps, drawing a small silver dagger out of her belt as she moved.

Paldir, focused on repelling her unexpected mental counter, was taken completely by surprise. Evidently, he'd expected _Alice_ to be immediately incapacitated by _his_ efforts. However, as he'd demonstrated earlier, Paldir also possessed remarkably good reflexes under pressure, and while he could not avoid the dagger completely, he managed to raise his hand to intercept the blade moments before it pierced his chest. If it had reached its target, it would have penetrated his heart; he would have been dead almost instantly.

The razor-sharp dagger cut through his hand completely up to the hilt. He howled, the pain breaking through his paralysis, and hit out at Alice with his other hand. He caught her a glancing blow across her face, causing her to stumble back.

Paldir clutched at his mangled hand, swearing hoarsely at Alice. He no longer seemed so smug, instead, an ugly expression of hate contorted his face, which drained of the little colour he'd had.

Alice wiped her bleeding lip and cursed her failure, but didn't wait for him to recover. Through clenched teeth, she hissed a few words, and then blew softly over her outstretched palm at her enemy. A spark, then a flame, and then a raging inferno spontaneously ignited the air around them, crackling and roaring. The windows shattered and flames burst out into the night air. With a shriek, Paldir disappeared completely, enveloped by the flames, a cocoon of raging magical fire.

Alice narrowed her eyes against the brightness of the flames and smoke, and took a step back. The heat was blistering, even at this distance. He was finally dead... Right?

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Three blocks away, Blödhgarm was limping as quickly as he could towards the Governor's house, feeling royally pissed off.

Apart from the indignation at being used as a distraction by Alice, while she went after an ex-lover, or whoever the hell he was, he'd been left to deal with two suicidal maniacs and two half-dead, half-asleep Varden spellcasters they'd left behind the crates. Had she just _forgotten_ about them? Quite surprisingly, they'd been spared the worst of the blast by the crates which fell on top and buried them, so it hadn't taken long for him to rescue and stabilise them, and drag them swiftly out of danger (the warehouse was now on fire from the explosion, and the dry wood was burning quickly). All of this was accomplished _after_ he's disposed of the two spellcasters, which, while it was relatively easy to conquer their feeble minds and then kill them, it required a little caution and did take up a bit of time. Time he wanted to spend getting to the bottom of this Paldir-Alice relationship.

The time for discretion was past, and the streets were rapidly filling with concerned people flocking to the blazing warehouse. He pushed past them recklessly, causing some to scream and scramble back as they saw his bloodstained, exotic features. He gave a mirthless smirk. It wasn't his fault that, for time's sake, he'd had to make do with his fangs and clawed hands to deal with the spellcasters.

Blödhgarm was not even sure he was heading in the right direction! He assumed they were heading in the direction of the Governor's house, and there was a scent trail there, but it could have been left from earlier. This meant that he had to move at half the speed, cautious of the trail leading off in another direction, without him noticing. Logically, Paldir would have grabbed the nearest horse and gotten the hell out of town, right? Unless Alice and Paldir were involved in something else, something he didn't know about...? he gritted his teeth.

Suddenly, far over the rooftops of the houses, was another explosion. Several blocks away, a tall building rocked as the glass of a window exploded outwards in flames. He set his jaw and sped up. He could feel his blood-lust growing with every step. They were at the Governor's house... if Alice wasn't already in trouble... she was about to be.


	10. Prequel: Broken trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 years ago, the castle at Urubaen...

Lord Alaric watched from under his bushy eyebrows as Alice practised her meditation, lying on the sofa in his office. He steepled his fingers under his chin as he pondered their situation.

_Hello there_. He said, projecting his thoughts to her.

"Uwaaah!" she yelped, and almost tumbled off the sofa.

He sighed. "You weren't ready." He remarked sternly.

"But I don't know when you're coming!" she whined.

"That's the point," he said irately. "Your mind needs to be strong even when you aren't ready. Again!"

She settled down on the couch again, a frown line between her eyes as she tried to empty her mind. Her face turned pink with the effort, and he had to work hard to keep a straight face. Maybe he was being too hard on her... she was, after all, only nine years old. But this was the way he'd raised her mother, and she'd turned out okay. His eye lingered briefly on an aged painted portrait on his desk of a beautiful, smiling young woman, who looked a lot like Alice... in the picture, her smile seemed innocent and hopeful, unaware of the doom which awaited her. Lord Alaric looked away. His eyes told of inexpressible sadness and bottomless rage.

He had to protect the only thing he had left of his beautiful daughter... Alice. Of course, this was easier said than done, especially when she was always running off with that no-good kitchen boy. They were always playing pranks on the cook, climbing the roofs, exploring the dungeons, giving themselves illegal horse riding lessons with the nobility's mounts in the stables, spitting on foreign dignitaries' heads as they walked under the arches... and of course, Alice's latest exploit, consorting with the King's dragon! But he felt sure he'd dealt with the problem - he'd blocked up all the drain entrances he could find, placed new wards on Alice to keep track of her, and in the three weeks since the incident, she'd been under house-arrest, virtually without complaint. He could tell she was itching to be out and about again though... even now, she was drumming her feet against the back of the sofa impatiently, a sure sign of an impending outburst.

He reached out to gently touch her mind, but this time she sensed him coming, and managed to erect a weak and fragile mental barrier just in time. He could easily break through, but that was for another lesson. She was concentrating so hard, sweat was breaking out across her furrowed forehead. He withdrew his mind, impressed. "Well done!" he said. "The barrier is weak, but at least this time you managed to sense me coming." He tried to hide his true feelings - he was quite taken aback at her extraordinary aptitude for this, and a little disturbed... what nine year old could do this so quickly? He'd only begun teaching her about mental defence a few days ago. He'd thought it a good idea to start, even though she was so young, since she now had something important to hide; namely, a large, black dragon. Still, it was unnerving, especially since he knew that those extraordinary mental powers didn't exactly come from his side of the family... they must be from...

"Grandpa, can't I go play now? I've been stuck here for _ages_ already..." Alice interrupted his musings.

"It's only been an hour since breakfast." He replied mildly.

"Ugh!" she said dramatically, and wriggled around on the sofa.

"But," he said reluctantly, "I suppose you _have_ earned a break."

Alice looked up excitedly.

His voice was stern. "You can go and play, but remember what we talked about..."

She nodded eagerly, impatient to be off.

"I mean it, Alice. Tell no one, not even that brainless boy, and stay away from _that _side of the castle. I'll know if you disobey me. _Do you understand_?"

"Yes, Grandfather." She said, trying to be serious.

He hesitated, suspicious. "Then you may go." He said reluctantly.

With a squeal of delight, she ran off to seek adventure.

* * *

_Fifteen minutes later..._

"Paldir!" she yelled as she burst into the kitchens. The head cook saw her and shook his head disapprovingly, but didn't say anything. After all, she was the daughter of an important noble at court. Paldir grinned widely from the sinks where he was scrubbing pots. "Alice!" he replied.

"May he..?" she asked the head cook, who nodded grudgingly. He was in no position to refuse the request of a noble, even a miniature one. And anyway, the sooner they were out of his hair, the better.

Less than a minute later, they were out of the kitchens and streaking towards their favourite place, a particularly leafy tree in a nearby courtyard. Once in the broad branches and screened completely from passers-by, they felt right once again.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Three floors and a corridor away, Lord Alaric sighed and turned a page in his book. "Of course that would be the first thing she'd do with her freedom..." he muttered into his beard.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Enter." He said, looking up.

A smartly dressed message runner stepped inside and bowed low. "Lord Alaric." he said.

"Yes, what is it?"

"His Majesty would like you to attend the execution of the spies in the main throne room, my lord. It commences shortly."

"Oh, it's that time already..." sighed Lord Alaric, hiding his distaste. However, as a senior noble in the King's court, it was required that he be a witness to such affairs. It was difficult, however, since he was also secretly a senior agent of the Varden, so watching his own people being put to death was somewhat unsettling. If he'd remembered that the executions were today, he probably wouldn't have let Alice go off on her own; in the throne-room, he had to be extremely careful not to let slip to the King that he was an accomplished mage. He would be unable to keep track of her movements for several hours. He considered going to fetch her...

"Sir?" Prompted the messenger.

There was no time. What harm could a small girl get up to in a few hours? He wryly recalled the last time he'd had that exact thought, and how wrong he'd been. But there was no other option. He'd just have to believe that his stern rebukes over the past three weeks had somehow sunk in and that for at least _one day_, Alice couldn't possibly get into trouble.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"... And you've got to think of nothing else, or what you're thinking of has to take up all your thoughts..." babbled Alice happily.

"And then no one can read your mind?" marvelled Paldir. Squinting his eyes and pursing his lips, he tried it.

"You're not doing it right!" she said bossily, and giggled so much she almost fell out of the tree, "Y-you look like you're on the loo!"

Paldir flushed and gave her a shove. "But what happened down the Hole?" he asked, changing the subject. "Lord Alaric came looking for you in the kitchens, and then took off, and I didn't see you for ages!"

Alice instantly went serious. "I... I actually can't tell you." She admitted with wide eyes.

"What?" he said, half-laughing. Then he realised she was being serious. He frowned at her. "But we tell each other everything, remember?" he pointed at the letters "P" and "A" carved into the trunk of the tree. "We made a promise." He grabbed her arm when she tried to look away, "Are you a liar?"

"No!" she protested, a little teary-eyed, "But this is really important so I can't tell you..."

"We made an oath and sealed it in blood." He said gravely. "Remember? You had scraped your knee and I cut open my finger so we could do the oath."

She stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Do you know what happens when you break a blood-oath?" he whispered seriously. She shook her head.

"You get cursed." He replied. She gasped, and he nodded seriously. "So if you really won't tell me, don't come crying to me with your _curse problems_." He leant back again the tree trunk, arms folded.

Alice was silent for a while as she considered this new information.

"Okay." She said at last.

"Yes!" said Paldir and leaned forward eagerly.

"But you really can't tell _anyone_..." she warned, and told him everything.

* * *

_10 minutes later..._

"Wow," breathed Paldir, "A real dragon?"

Alice nodded proudly. Although she had been reluctant at first, and felt terribly guilty for disobeying her grandfather, those feelings were quickly eclipsed by her excitement at telling the story. To be honest, she had been dying to tell him about it. And he was suitably impressed, which stroked her ego even further. She relished the awe in his eyes; she'd never been better than him at anything. He was older, wiser and stronger in every way, though she'd never admit it.

"Are you going to go back to visit the dragon?" he asked her when she had finished the tale.

She grinned at him. "Of course! I told him I would. But Grandfather..." her confidence faded. "He won't let me, and he sealed off the Hole."

"Hm." Said Paldir, wracking his brains. "Well, I know of some other drains in the servant's quarters, maybe we could try those?"

Alice bit her lip, but her voice was adamant. "You can't come with me." She said firmly.

"What! But I...!"

"Absolutely not." Interrupted Alice. "I am going back _sometime_, but I'll have to choose my moment carefully, and go alone. I can't be away long, and no one can know about it. Paldir," she grabbed his hand and looked at him with burning eyes, "I trust you to be my friend and help me with this." She said seriously.

Paldir scowled at her, but he could tell she wouldn't budge. He could go without her, but... he might get lost down there, and somehow he didn't relish the thought of meeting a black dragon down a dank hole... alone... even if Alice had made friends with it first.

"Alright." He conceded at last, with a theatrical sigh. "What do you need?"

She beamed at him. "Right, I need a step-ladder to get in and out of the drain in the cave, so I don't get stuck there again." She counted it on her fingers, "I'll need a lantern that won't go out because it's really dark down there, and..." she clapped her hands as she had a great idea, "I need the biggest roast in the castle."

"What?" yelped Paldir, "Now, wait a second..."

"It'll have to be a whole pig or something, I guess," she said, almost feverish with excitement.

Paldir shook his head, bemused.

"I can't just go there empty-handed, Paldir!" she cried dramatically. "That would be rude!"

"How will you even get it down there?" he asked sceptically. Never mind that stealing a whole pig would get him the worst beating of his life. He shivered just thinking about it.

Alice thought for a moment. "I'll take it down on one of those wheeled trolley things, you know, the little ones? I can pile everything on it, put it on a rope from my belt, and pull it like a sled!" she bounced up and down on the branch, delighted with her own brilliance. "The bottom of the drain is pretty much flat," she added, "I could do it!" Paldir felt her excitement infecting him as well.

He sighed again. "Okay, so when are you going to go?"

Alice went quiet. It was one thing to fantasize and plan to go, another to actually do it. "I'll have to wait until Grandpa is away," she said, "It could take a long time." She didn't think this was such a bad thing- the last time she'd gone was quite traumatic, and still very fresh in her memory.

"You should go now." Said Paldir abruptly. He had a curious gleam of some secretive excitement in his eyes, but Alice didn't notice.

"What?" she gasped.

"Don't you know?" he said, "Today is that massive execution that the castle has been preparing for, the kitchens are _super_ busy preparing the banquet."

"But..." spluttered Alice.

"Won't your grandfather be there the whole time? And, I can get you something from the kitchens, it's so chaotic in there. You won't get another opportunity like this for at least another month," he said pointedly, "Even the servant's quarters will be basically empty..."

Alice looked dubious. She realised she had gone too far, and recalled her grandfather's expression when he'd seen her in the dungeons... she didn't want that to happen again.

But it was too late. Paldir gave her a calculated, smug look. "So you _are_ a coward, then." He said slowly.

Alice decided to disobey her grandfather.


	11. Prequel: Broken Friendship

It was as Paldir said.

The servants' quarters were largely empty, and it was easy to procure the items Alice had listed. The roast, however, was a bit of an issue and Paldir was only able to steal the larger half of a roast pig, not the entire thing, while Alice distracted the cooks with ridiculous questions. They decided they'd have to make do with it, and soon Alice and Paldir were assembled outside a small drain opening in the lower servants' quarters.

"Paldir," said Alice seriously, "_Promise me_ you won't follow."

He smiled at her. "We're friends, aren't we? Friends forever. I promised I wouldn't... Friends don't lie." They solemnly shook hands on it. Alice spontaneously gave him a hug around his middle, then turned quickly back to the drain. Paldir blushed slightly, but didn't say anything.

The drain was in use, carrying away water emptied from baths and washing tubs, though only as an extra outlet on the busier washing days. Although it was relatively dry, it smelled appalling, and it would be quite a tight squeeze for Alice towing her contraption behind her. Her head was spinning with heady anticipation and excitement at seeing Her Dragon (as she had started thinking of him), so she didn't hesitate to crawl into the drain, despite its unattractive appearance. She was so absorbed in her excitement, that she didn't even think it strange that Paldir hadn't argued with her about coming again, but merely smiled cheerfully and waved goodbye.

Paldir watched her back disappear down the hole and peered into the darkness until he saw a faint, blue light emanating from her diminishing outline, as she ignited her were-light. He glanced about the deserted corridor, then entered the drain himself. It was harder for him, since he was bigger and taller, but he pressed on, maintaining a discrete distance from his friend. He didn't feel even a twinge of guilt for breaking his promise to her; a dragon was more important than a make-believe oath with a silly little girl!

Alice arrived at the main tunnel quite soon and recognised it immediately as the tunnel she had travelled down the previous trip. Without hesitation she turned right at the crossroads, to follow the main tunnel further down. Behind her, the roast, covered in a thick cloth, and the lantern bounced and rattled on the little wheeled trolley, which would double as a step-ladder once she arrived.

Paldir had fallen a bit behind by this point, and could no longer see the faint blue light ahead because of the curves in the tunnel. Panic threatened to make him give up and turn back, as he was swamped in complete blackness, buried alive under the castle. This wave of fear suddenly broke through the barriers on his latent magical powers, and when, in desperation, he murmured, "_Naina_!", the magical word for "light", more like a fervent wish than an intention to use magic, his palm blazed with a light so bright it blinded him for several minutes. The light was strong, and unwavering in his hand, unlike Alice's were-light, and he felt invincible with the magical power that flowed through him for the first time. Alice had taught him the theory and words of power, but he'd never been able to use it before, much to his disappointment. Somehow, his panic had unlocked a previously dormant, powerful side to him. The magic he used was unrestrained and bled away from him in the form of light into the surrounding bricks at a fast rate.

Unknown to Paldir, the wild flare of uncontrolled magic triggered several wards in the castle. In the throne room, the King shifted in his seat and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he seemed distracted by some entertaining thought. He waved an attendant closer and spoke quietly into his ear. Then the King abruptly stood up and strode out of the throne room, ignoring all the surprised nobles scrambling to their feet and bowing, scared of causing offence by sitting while the king had risen.

"The King is retiring for today," the attendant announced, as the King disappeared out a side door, "Proceedings will continue tomorrow."

Alice's grandfather went as pale as death, and his heart plummeted, as he had a terrible premonition that Alice was somehow involved.

Meanwhile, in the bowels of the castle, Paldir recklessly pushed on, and almost (unwittingly) got lost at the crossroads. He paused for barely a second, then, simply by chance, he choose the correct path and carried on down. His mind was filled with grand ideas of becoming a mage and leaving his old life as a down-trodden kitchen-boy behind. He wanted to tell Alice, after he'd seen this dragon for himself, obviously.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Alice had made it to the cavern, which looked the same as the last time she'd been there. It was very quiet, and, just like last time, Alice could see nothing in the darkness beyond the light of the flickering torches on their wall-sconces. She carefully lowered the trolley and then jumped down next to it, wondering innocently whether Shruikan was sleeping.

She took the roast off the trolley and pushed the trolley up against the wall under the opening off the drain, so she could get out again later, and lit the lantern, but put it down next to the roast for the time being.

Then, she peered into the silent darkness again, but could see nothing. She thought for a moment.

"No need to be shy!" she called out into the gloom.

In the darkness, a large golden eye was fixed on her with interest, and the dragon felt something he didn't really understand. He was glad to see her. But Shruikan still had the thoughts of a wild and dangerous animal, and was, currently, very hungry. He wondered how the girl would taste... however, he was strangely reluctant to pounce. He was used to acting on instinct, and this new ability to think beyond physical wants confused him. So he remained silent, wavering on the edge of killing her... or saying hello.

Alice was wholly unaware of the very real and very grave danger she was in, and couldn't understand why Shruikan was so quiet. She could feel his eyes on her, so why didn't he come into the light?

She suddenly had an idea, and, with a flourish, she whipped the cloth off of the roast in front of her.

With a lumbering roar, the dragon's reverie was shattered by the delicious smell of pork-fat that wafted his way. He emerged out of the gloom, and snapped up the roast in seconds. He was so big, he didn't even need to chew, and if anything, felt even hungrier than before. But first, he wanted to understand why the girl had come, and where she had found the meat, and could she find more for him?

Alice giggled and laughed as Shruikan gently yet eagerly sniffed her from head to toe, whilst pouring his questions into her head. She struggled to answer him between delighted giggles (having mistaken his over-zealous sniffing for gladness to see her again). She tried to explain the situation, how dangerous it was for her to visit him, because the King might find out (at this, Shruikan gave a feral growl and his tail whipped about, smashing into the ground and walls of the cavern, like an enormous, enraged cat). He seemed to listen to reason after he'd calmed down, and she explained that if it _was_ possible, she would try and come again. He seemed appeased, and settled down to send via mental link an intense and confusing barrage of images and feelings for Alice to interpret, which she took as a detailed account of everything that he'd done since her last visit, including, but not limited to, digging a new tunnel in the back of the cavern where he thought he could "smell water", and attempting to touch the largest spike on his lower jaw with the smallest claw on his left back leg, which, he assured Alice gravely, was a feat of considerable dexterity for such a large dragon. She tried to keep up with the speed of his thoughts, and occasionally sent back a "Oh really?" and a polite "Surely not!" which seemed to gratify the dragon enormously. Midstream during this "conversation", Shruikan suddenly fell silent and cocked his head. His nostrils flared and he glared at the drain behind Alice.

"What is it-" she started asking, then stared as a bright blue light appeared at the entrance of the tunnel. With a short, sharp cry, Paldir tumbled out and sprawled on the ground in front of the girl and the dragon. Dazed, he looked up at Alice, who had an expression of hurt and anger at his betrayal.

Shruikan saw only a small human, wearing no cumbersome armour or holding any pointy weapons, who was _not Alice_. His appetite suddenly returned with a vengeance.

Alice, still connected to Shruikan via mental link, saw the intention in Shruikan's mind and acted immediately. She threw herself in front of Paldir, arms outstretched, and shouted as loudly as she could, mentally and out-loud, "NO! Shruikan, don't! Please..." he paused, just for a short time, as he battled confusedly between his hunger and his newfound reasoning abilities. Alice finally realised the precarious situation Paldir and herself were in- she finally understood the savagery and unpredictability of Shruikan's nature, and realised what a fool she had been for simply walking back into a dragon's den. Her knees started shaking as she realised how close to death she'd unwittingly come.

"Paldir!" she screamed at him, "We have to go, we have to..." she tugged desperately at his arm, towards the drain. Paldir misunderstood the situation completely (having been previously informed by Alice herself of what a nice dragon Shruikan was) and shook her off as he got to his feet. He stared in awe at the dragon. He'd never seen anything so big and majestic before... and the magic was still thrumming through his veins, making him feel invincible, a feeling he'd never had before. But unknown to Paldir, extraordinary as his reserves on magic were, he was close to running out completely. One last burst of magic, and he'd come up empty.

Alice's temper got the best of her, and she struck out, hitting Paldir hard on the shoulder, while yelling, "Why aren't you listening to m-"

With a violent backhand, he instinctively struck back, catching her neatly across her face. But what Paldir didn't intend was the force at which Alice was thrown back; he had struck out at her with the hand still wielding the blazing were-light, and in his outburst of temper, his uncontrolled magic flared a second time, just as the blow landed.

Alice was thrown backwards like a rag-doll, before smashing into the wall of the cavern next to the drain opening. She crumpled down to the stony floor, barely conscious, as blood gushed down her face from an open wound on her head.

Paldir spun around in shock and horror at this unintended consequence of his actions, utterly confused as to how he'd done this (the magic having petered out at last) but didn't have time to do anything before...

Shruikan let out an ear-splitting, earth-shattering roar, and expelled a massive jet of flame, which bathed the cavern ceiling in smoke and fire and licked around the stalactites. The scent of Alice's blood had had a profound effect on the dragon; he simultaneously desired blood, and felt a consuming anger at Paldir for attacking His Human (as he now thought of Alice). So his next desire was "_eat the human boy_", and things would have gone very badly for Paldir, had not the dungeon door opened at that exact moment.

The Mad King stepped into the cavern.


	12. If Looks Could Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 years later, Lithgow, the Governor's house...

Alice stared as the flames of the raging inferno she'd just conjured blew out as easily as a candle. The room was a devastated, smouldering wreck, and looked about ready to collapse around them. This would be a problem, since they weren't on the ground floor.

Alice could hear the screams and muffled yells from the confused inhabitants of the house below them, as if from far away. All of her concentration was focused on the man in front of her. Paldir seemed completely unharmed, and extremely angry. Even his gold-trimmed robe wasn't singed (which would have been an improvement). He spat out a few magical words, and she felt an overwhelming pressure, like a vice, closing on her chest and body, rendering her immobile and unable to speak a word. She struggled to rally herself, but could tell she was completely vulnerable like this. It was odd - her wards were supposed to have prevented spells like this from immobilising her. Clearly, he had some new tricks up his sleeve. The fact that her wards hadn't worked meant that he must have worded the spell in a way she hadn't anticipated, but how did he know-

"So," he said, through gritted teeth. He began pacing slowly in front of her, up and down across the charred floorboards. Alice glanced down quickly, only her eyes moving, and saw the knife glinting from the opposite end of the room, where Paldir had dropped it. It wasn't too far away...

"You really tried to kill me," he said wonderingly, shaking his head in disbelief, or perhaps arrogance. "I would very much like to rip your throat out for all the inconvenience you've caused me." he said, matter-of-factly. His arm shot out and closed around her throat, his grip tightening. She choked, glaring hatred into his mad eyes, now only inches from her face. "But," he said regretfully, "I won't kill you... Not today."

The magic immobilising her vanished, and she found her voice again. "You don't have the guts to kill me." She said hoarsely, contemptuously. For a moment, Paldir's eyes flickered. But when he spoke again, his voice was as confident and conceited as before. "As much as I'd like to kill you, right here and now..." he repeated, "I won't." He looked at her meaningfully, "_He_ instructed me- _in person-_ to let you live."

She blinked. She knew exactly who he was talking about. "You lie." She said coldly, but her voice sounded unsure. "He has no reason to want-"

"I'm as curious as you are." He said, eyes narrowed. His fingers tightened again on her throat. Her fingers scrabbled against his arm, but he paid no attention. All the while Paldir had been talking, Alice had been extending her consciousness to probe his for weaknesses. She was particularly adept at the subtler arts of mental manipulation, and he didn't seem to have noticed yet. She readied herself to strike the moment he was distracted.

He smiled mirthlessly at her. "So, I'm going to take you back to him, and I guess we'll find out what he wants. Maybe he simply wants to kill you himself, as punishment for stealing his books."

"Those books... belonged to my grandfather!" Alice snarled between gasps.

"Whatever." Paldir said dismissively. "Oh, and did you know? I have one with me right now." His right hand, still bleeding from Alice's first assault, reached stiffly into an inner pocket of his robe, and he slowly withdrew a tattered-looking leather-bound book. He waved it enticingly in front of her face. Her eyes followed it hungrily. On the dark leather cover was the imprinted shape of a stylised black dragon. This was the book she'd been searching for, for so long!

Energy surged through her limbs in the form of adrenaline. Paldir was an idiot for baiting her like this. Even when they were kids, he'd always underestimated her. It would be to his detriment, this time.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Blödhgarm had reached the building where the explosion had happened. The room was no longer burning, and seemed quiet... too quiet. He felt the flutterings of something akin to panic as he glanced up at the shattered, dark window, devoid of life. Crossly, he told himself that it was just adrenaline kicking in late. He cautiously extended his mind up to the room, and felt a sweeping sense of relief as he felt the presence of both of their minds, alive and conscious, for now. It was time for some answers.

He ran to base of the building, and didn't slow down his pace, using his momentum and the occasional window ledge to swing himself silently up the side of the house. He slipped through a window of the room next door to the burnt room, and padded softly to their door. The building was deserted: everyone had fled from the explosion. Blödhgarm knew that it wouldn't be long until reinforcements came to investigate the ruckus. He laid a hand on the door handle, which was still warm to the touch from the flash fire inside, then hesitated. He put his eye to the keyhole, but Alice and Paldir were out of sight. They were, however, _talking..._ about some book, of all things. With his superior hearing, Blödhgarm closed his eyes and could picture the scene from the proximity of their voices. Both of their heart-rates were elevated, but for now they were only talking. He listened, motionless.

Inside the room, Alice forced her eyes away from the book, and back to Paldir's smug face. It was time to distract him and make her move.

"It's true I came for the book," she said, "But I wasn't sure you had it. I did truly intend to kill you, though." She gave him a smile of pure malice.

He frowned at her. "Yes, about that... I understand you trying to kill me with the knife, but the fire?" he arched an eyebrow at her, "The last time I saw you, three years ago, was it? You swore, rather rashly I might add, that you would _never use magic to kill_. You swore it in the ancient language!"

Her eyes glittered, "Oh, I didn't _really_ intend to kill you with that spell." He made a disbelieving noise, "I only wanted to burn you beyond all recognition. If you'd died from your injuries it would have been a happy coincidence." Internally, Alice cursed the lost opportunity. It was true, she had been relying on his assumption that she couldn't use any fatal spells to get an opportunity to kill him. It would be much harder now, he had his guard up...

"And we used to be so close," remarked Paldir, "We've come a long way since that time, haven't we?" He seemed almost wistful. His thumb stroked her throat, his grip loosening slightly, and Alice tensed, readying herself. "You know," he said suddenly, earnestly, "I stand by what I said the last time we met." His eyes were wide, almost desperate, "You could come back with me... Voluntarily. We... we could have it again. We could start over, together."

Alice deliberately made her face go slack, doe-eyed, as if her will was breaking. "I..." she murmured, and let her eyes slowly fall, as if she couldn't look into his face. For a second, Alice could tell she'd fooled him. His grip slackened even further, and his thoughts were in disarray.

(Behind the door, Blödhgarm could hear her heartbeat suddenly galloping as a rush of adrenaline surged. She was about to do something- he gripped the door handle again.)

She struck out mentally, raking through Paldir's mind quickly, without attempting to gain control. She'd established earlier he was strong enough to fend her off, but the pain of her attack momentarily blinded him. As a gut reaction, his hand closed tightly over her throat, cutting off her air supply, crushing her throat completely. But she had been expecting it, and as he moved closer to subdue her, her leg lashed out and caught him in a particularly sensitive area. With a gasp, he finally released her and fell to one knee on the ground. _Why didn't I do this in the beginning, if that's all it took?_ She asked herself, dazed, seeing spots from the lack of oxygen. Her eyes flew to the knife, which was just three steps away... But then she hesitated. She lunged instead for the book, managed to grab it from him, and then went for the knife.

Paldir was in pain, and not only from Alice's kick. She'd let him believe, for a second, that she was as conflicted about him as he was about her... but clearly their past meant nothing to her. The rejection still hurt, even after all this time. His pain and betrayal, and the humiliation of playing the fool again fused into an uncontrollable rage. Stuff his master, and his orders! She would die, here and now. He filled his lungs with the air that would deliver a death-spell. Everything would have been over for Alice in that precise moment, had it not been for the elf suddenly standing in the open doorway.

Almost lazily, Blödhgarm drew his own knife from his belt, and with an idle flick of his wrist, it flashed across the room. It hit Paldir in the shoulder with such speed and strength that it pinned him effortlessly to the wall. Paldir screamed and pulled at the knife, but couldn't budge it. Blödhgarm turned to Alice, standing nearby with a book and a knife in her hands. She felt ice running down her spine at the deadly glare he gave her. Her mouth went dry and she lost her voice completely.

"I'll deal with you in a moment," he hissed, and turned back to Paldir, who was still struggling to shift the knife. Striding forwards, Blödhgarm probed his mind for information, scattering his defences. In a panic, Paldir gabbled out a line in the ancient language. Blödhgarm realised in time what he was trying to do, and swiftly canted the spell to silence him. To his surprise, Paldir continued the spell without saying the words out loud, showing a depth of focus Blödhgarm hadn't thought he was capable of. Veins stood out on his forehead as he finished the spell in a panic.

Only seconds later, the unthinkable happened. With a deafening clap like thunder and a flash of copper fire, Paldir disappeared entirely- along with the wall he was pinned against. The room rocked as parts of the walls and floor were completely ripped away, seemingly into thin air.

It took a few seconds for Alice to process what had just happened.

Shakily, she got to her feet in the aftermath, feeling like she'd aged several years. He was gone- unexpectedly, it was over. She should feel frustrated at having lost him again, but felt strangely relieved instead. She murmured a line of the ancient language, and her hearing returned with a pop. Blödhgarm was also still facing the space previously occupied by his prey. Predictably, he'd somehow managed to stay on his feet.

"Well," remarked Alice cautiously, trying to disguise the lightness in her voice, "_That_ was unexpected."

Blödhgarm rounded on her.

She flinched. If looks could kill...


	13. Prequel: Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 years ago, the castle in Urubaen, the Dragon's Cave...

It was pure coincidence that Shruikan's enormous body was blocking the two terrified children from view as King Galbatorix stepped through the doorway. As it was, the king had sensed the presence of two children's minds even before he entered the room. He was aware that one of them had powerful magic, and, fortunately for Alice, it was onto this child that his mental energies were focused first.

Shruikan's gigantic teeth, exposed and dripping, were only metres away from closing on Paldir, standing numbly next to Alice, when he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a beat of silence.

The dragon had suddenly become aware of his master's presence, and this had a profound effect on him. He swung his gigantic head around, and let out a blood-curdling roar. The cavern echoed and reverberated with the enormous sound, and even far upstairs in the castle, the fine crystal glasses rang like glass bells, and the servants wondered at it.

With a jerk, Alice came out of her stupor and scrambled to her feet, looking confusedly about. Blood was running down her face, but the cut was shallow. She had bigger problems to worry about. What was Shruikan so upset about? Through their mental connection, she sent a wordless, tearful query to the dragon, and discovered a strange thing.

With Alice injured behind him, facing the King, whom he hated and feared, Shruikan was having an epiphany. For the first time in his long life, he was not thinking about himself at all. His mind was clear, and less like a beast's every second that passed. All of his instincts were screaming to protect His Human, and he perceived the danger of the King discovering her. In this moment, Alice and Shruikan's mental connection deepened and sharpened in clarity. Alice suddenly found herself looking through Shruikan's eyes into the Mad King's.

Galbatorix leaned against the door nonchalantly and waited for the last of the reverberations to die down. He was used to Shruikan's tantrums by now. The King's first mistake was made years and years ago, when he'd first stolen Shruikan and bent the dragon's mind to serve him. All those years ago, Galbatorix had been driven by a sense of purpose to obtain a dragon, to use as a weapon. He was not looking to replace the partner of his soul, his original dragon. For this reason, Galbatorix had never had a strong mental or emotional connection with the black dragon, and refused to think of him as a being capable of intelligent thought. The only contact they had was in the issuing of orders, or punishment. Over the years, deprived of interaction and true contact with others, Shruikan had become that which the King wanted; a mindless beast. That was, until he'd met Alice.

Alice, having seen the danger through the dragon's eyes, withdrew partially from his mind and got to her feet quickly, grabbing Paldir's arm.

_Shruikan, don't let him see us!_ she begged him, dragging Paldir to the drain. This time, the boy came willingly.

The dragon rumbled assent, and squared up to the King, spreading his wings as far as the cavern would allow. He snapped his jaws threateningly in the air, glaring venomously at the King.

"Oh, stop it," said the King, annoyed, trying to peer around the dragon. He just assumed Shruikan was guarding his meal, like a badly trained dog. _That's right, when did I last feed the stupid beast? A week ago, at least, _he thought carelessly. _Oops._

Alice looked back at the dragon facing down the King for her. Tears streamed down her face. Why did she feel as though something terrible was going to happen?

_Shruikan_! she sobbed.

_... Go... _the dragon urged. His voice was deep and cracked, full of ageless pain. Inexplicably, his mind had taken on an element of reasoned simplicity; the directness of a child that sees everything for the first time and accepts it. She blinked. _You spoke!_

The dragon looked momentarily back at her, over his outstretched wings. ... _Alice... _he said simply, and then conveyed a complex idea to her that Alice did not fully understand at the time, but would never forget.

Alice turned and ran up the tunnel after Paldir, too overcome to respond.

Years later, she would realize what the complex idea was. In that moment, Shruikan had entrusted her with his true name.

In the cavern, the King lost patience, and spoke a single word of power. With a roar, Shruikan's enormous bulk was effortlessly lifted and thrown aside, crashing down against the wall on the opposite side of the cavern. Tremors like an earthquake rocked the cavern, and stalagmites were were dislodged from the roof, spearing the ground. The King stalked down to the drain entrance, realising he'd lost his quarry. He was not upset; it wouldn't be hard to find the boy again. _But what is this?_ His eye moved across the discarded trolley, lantern and cloth, and a small splash of blood still running down the stones. _Not just an unintended adventure, then?_ He mused, interest piqued. He turned to look pensively at Shruikan, who was backing away slowly into the dark. "Not so fast." He commanded, and stretched out his mind.

* * *

_1 hour later, _ _Lord Alaric's quarters..._

Lord Alaric paced agitatedly back and forth.

"So you are certain you weren't seen?" he demanded again.

"Yes." replied Alice miserably, for what seemed like the fiftieth time. Her shoulders were slumped, her arms hanging by her side. Paldir, standing next to her in a similar posture, stared at his shoes mutely.

"But we still can't risk it." Lord Alaric muttered distractedly to himself.

Alice looked up, scared of the fear she heard in his voice. "What do you m-"

The door burst open, and they all jumped and stared, then relaxed.

"My Lord," said Jethram apologetically, and closed the door behind him. Alice blinked at him. He was her grandfather's most trusted servant, and as close as an uncle to her. He had a sizable box, delicately carved with a pattern of leaves and trees under one arm.

"Jethram! Oh, good, you've brought it." Lord Alaric sighed. He took the box over to his desk, and opened the sliding lid carefully. Alice, despite herself, tiptoed closer, curious and a little scared about all the activity.

As if only remembering Paldir's presence again at this moment, Lord Alaric looked up with a hostile expression. "You!" he snarled, "You can get lost, now."

Paldir flinched and looked up, ashen-faced. He scrambled to the door, eager to escape.

"And if you ever say a word about anything you saw down there..." Lord Alaric added, letting his voice trail off with an unspoken threat. To emphasise his point, he strode menacingly towards the boy, combing his mind for treachery.

"It wasn't Paldir's fault!" said Alice bravely, stepping between them. "It was me- My idea... He was only following me!"

Lord Alaric shook her off, but turned away from Paldir, too. He glared at Alice. "I know this was his idea, I can see it in his mind," he growled, "But you _are_ still responsible! You taught him the spells I have been teaching you..." he touched the healed cut on her head again, and the angry look returned. "You deliberately ignored my instructions!"

Tears pricked Alice's eyes. He was looking at her with such disappointment! Alice wished the ground would swallow her whole... he might never trust her again, how could she have been so stupid! A selfish part of her now she wished he would blame it all on Paldir... she stepped away, shamefaced.

Before Paldir could slink out the door, Lord Alaric had one final parting shot. "I always knew you were a no-good, selfish brat! All of us would have been better off without you. I don't ever want you near my granddaughter again!"

"... Alice?" Paldir said shakily, eyes filling with tears as the looked at a bloody bandage lying on the desk - her grandfather had healed her easily, but the guilt and shame ate at him from inside. And he didn't even know how it had happened! "I'm sorr-"

"It's okay." She replied quickly, but she was avoiding his eyes, and her tone was decidedly cool.

"I really am sorry," he repeated desperately. "We're still friends, right?"

Alice was silent. She wouldn't look at him. More than anything, that hurt Paldir the most.

"Alice-"

"We c-can't be friends anymore." she finally said, still looking down. "And don't tell anyone about what happened, okay? Promise!" Tears began welling up, but Paldir didn't see them.

Lord Alaric rested a large hand on Alice's shoulder, compassionate to her pain. She was just a child... She looked up at him, and could see from his gaze that she hadn't lost his love, after all. She gave him a watery smile.

Paldir's hurt suddenly turned into a blistering wave of jealousy and anger.

"I promise." He said tonelessly, but they had already forgotten his presence. The words had no meaning to him either, and tasted like ash on his tongue.

With hollow eyes, he walked out. Once the door was closed behind him, he allowed his tense muscles to finally relax... Tears of pain squeezed out his eyes as he suddenly felt the after-effects of the beating Lord Alaric had given him when he had found out what he'd done to Alice. How did this all happen? Was it really his fault? But he would never hurt Alice on purpose! All he'd wanted was to see the dragon. He felt confused, in pain and completely alone. He stumbled back to the kitchens, avoiding the staff. All he wanted was to collapse on his little bunk in the storeroom and never get up again.

Paldir was so dazed and preoccupied with his own thoughts, that he didn't notice the unnatural silence in the kitchens that day, or the lack of staff bustling about. His eyes were downcast as he shuffled, snivelling, to the storeroom. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The interior was dim and quiet, as usual, but something was different. He stopped abruptly, and wiped his eyes. He gasped.

"My dear boy," said the King in a voice like honey. He stretched out a cool hand to gently touch Paldir's left eye, where purple bruises were fast appearing. "Who could have done such an awful thing?"


	14. Prequel: Betrayal

"Alice," ordered Lord Alaric, in a voice more serious than she'd ever heard, "Come here and pay close attention."

She walked quickly around his desk, looking curiously at the box her grandfather was rapidly unpacking. "What is it, Grandfather?" she asked.

"These are the journals that I, and my father before me, have been putting together in preparation for..." he glanced up at Jethram, the sombre man standing close at attention, as if seeking some form of confirmation. Jethram gave an almost imperceptible nod, and they traded a meaningful look for a few moments. Alice hadn't missed this exchange, and was feeling more and more scared.

Lord Alaric took a deep breath. "Alice, I and my father before me have worked here in the castle as secret agents of the Varden."

Alice stared... she'd always known that they were no friends to the King, but to be a part of that shadowy opposition movement?! It was so exciting. Instantly her mind filled with thoughts of daredevil missions and espionage by her courageous grandfather, bamboozling the king's best laid plans at every turn...

Her grandfather shook his head, amused at the direction her thoughts were taking despite the tenseness of their situation. "Our roles were simply to observe, to gain the trust of the King as his confidante, and gather information on his abilities, movements, personality, history... one day, armed with enough knowledge, the hope was to strike where he least expects it. The destruction of the King, and the restoration of the Empire to the people; that and no less will be the completion of this great Quest. In this goal, our family and the Varden are joined, but we keep ourselves separate. Anyone who has eyes can see the hopelessness of attempting to win the day on strength of arms. My father passed his knowledge and skills onto me through these journals, and now I pass them onto you." His eyes grew solemn.

"No matter what happens to me, you must honour your family's work, and if you can- complete the Quest." Alice felt very solemn and responsible, with all this talk of quests, Kings and empires... How could she play a part in all of this?

"I wanted to wait until you had come of age before laying this burden on you, but events have conspired against all of my best-laid plans, and we do not have the luxury of prudence anymore."

Alice could feel tears welling up again, though she didn't quite understand what he was trying to say. "Is it my f-f-fault, Grandfather-?" she asked, lip quivering.

He pulled her into one of his rare bear hugs, "No, no, dearest. It is never the fault of a child to act like one! No, the blame for all of this rests with me, and me alone." His voice rumbled deep in his chest, and Alice felt better almost instantly. He stroked her hair gently with one calloused hand, and continued, "I have put you in danger by having you with me here all these years... although you didn't know it." Alice looked up at him in confusion. He gave a sad smile at her. "One day you will understand what I did, and on that day... I hope you will forgive me." He shook his head as she opened her mouth to ask what he meant. "That is a conversation for another day, my dear. But now listen, what I'm telling you is very important."

He picked up the first book, a leather-bound volume with a plain brown cover. The pages were thin and yellow with age, and the book was quite fat. "This is the first Book that was created, the Book of Gramarye." Alice blinked at him. "In it," he continued, "Are the basic fundamental rules of magic, and a list and explanation of the most practical spells." He picked up another book, a volume that Alice had seen before many times on his desk. It was filled with her grandfather's spidery writings, and it seemed to be the heaviest of all the journals. "This the Book of Healing. It has everything a healer needs to learn, from healing the smallest cuts and scrapes, to lethal poisons - and even some of my own advancements in the field. My experimental spells are in the back, and have not been properly tested, so exercise caution."

Alice couldn't understand why he was telling her all of this.

He read the expression on her face. "I want you to keep these two volumes with you at all times from now on, Alice, until we have reached safety."

"You don't mean-"

"Yes." He said heavily. "We are leaving the castle, tonight." He turned to Jethram. "We'll have to disperse the remaining books, as discussed, in the estates in Surda," he said. "We have friends and family that we can trust there," he explained to Alice. Jethram nodded, "All separate locations as we discussed, my Lord?"

Lord Alaric rubbed his face distractedly, "Yes, we can't risk the King having them all of them together. He may suspect-" he cut off his voice abruptly, and his face turned pale.

"The boy has told Him." He suddenly said, as if he couldn't believe it, and then he leapt up, galvanised into action. "Jethram, go now." He commanded, "And if the worst should happen, destroy the box before it can fall into the wrong hands." Jethram gave a low bow, gathered up the box and its precious cargo, and swept out of the room.

Her grandfather bolted the door after him, muttering strings of magical enchantments as he did so. Then he strode over to his chambers.

"Alice, this way!" Alice gathered up the two precious books in her arms carefully, and ran after him, wide-eyed.

Lord Alaric pulled out another flat box from under his bed, and from it gathered a leather satchel, already filled with essentials, and his sword, which he buckled onto his belt. He went over to his cupboard and took out two weather-stained travelling cloaks. He threw the smaller one, as well as a small-size tunic and breeches at Alice. She stared at the breeches, head spinning. He _never_ let her wear breeches...

"Put them on, and let's go."

Lord Alaric pulled up the heavy weaved rug at the foot of his bed, uncovering a hidden trapdoor. Alice ran into her room next door and got changed rapidly. As she struggled to pull the ill-fitting clothes on, she looked around her room- she wouldn't be coming back, she somehow knew. There was nothing she wanted to take with; all of her 'treasures' seemed so childish now. But she hesitated over the dirty lump of crystal resting on a bookshelf. Paldir had given it to her on her birthday, a few weeks before everything had happened. Before everything had _changed_.

"Alice!" her grandfather said urgently. She grabbed the crystal and stuffed it in her pocket, and then followed her grandfather down the trapdoor. He closed it carefully behind them, and murmured a short spell. In the deserted rooms, the rug rolled over the trapdoor again, concealing their escape.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Get your men to close the gates. No one is to get in or out until further orders!" barked King Galbatorix as he passed his guardsmen. They saluted stiffly and ran to do his bidding. He mounted the stairs towards Lord Alaric's quarters two steps at a time, a strange smile lighting up his expression.

What the boy had had to say was very interesting- particularly about Lord Alaric teaching his granddaughter magic. He hadn't known the old codger had such magical ability! He was a spy, then, and a good one. To play the King for a fool while even serving on his Council of Lords! The audacity of the deception was a masterstroke- he'd never suspected a thing.

The boy had been more than willing to rat out Lord Alaric- the brat clearly had no love or loyalty for him. But the boy insisted on first having King's word that Alice, his little friend, wouldn't get in trouble. He'd stood there, quivering like a leaf in the wind, yet demanding in a squeak that the King (the King!) gave his word! At first, Galbatorix felt annoyed, more concerned with the revelation of Alaric's betrayal, than some stupid brat girl... but then the insistence of the boy halted his train of thought, and for a second, he turned his prodigious mind to the girl. She'd apparently befriended his dragon as well, though he dismissed that as a child's fanciful imaginings. He'd scoured Shruikan's mind himself, and found him even more uncommunicative than usual. And dragons were supposed to be intelligent! He'd gotten nothing from that encounter beyond a few hazy memories of the children arriving from the drain. Frankly, a waste of his time.

The girl knew some magic- also unusual, though not impossible, if her grandfather had used his own powers to disguise it. Then, the King had had a sudden, disturbing thought, which scattered all his other concerns to the wind. For a few moments, he'd stood silent, feeling waves of the most profound shock he'd experienced in years travelled through him... _Was it even possible_?

Then he'd given Paldir's head a playful tousle and a warm, "You have my gratitude..." the boy had just gaped. "Mm... Such a good child. I have great plans for you, my boy. It's clear you are destined for much more than kitchens." He winked kindly at him, and left at a half-run.

(Paldir realised his face had been healed, and smiled shyly to himself. Maybe he'd finally done something right...?)

The King's mind was filled with questions that needed answers as he neared Lord Alaric's quarters. _Was it possible that...? but that would mean... Surely it couldn't be..._

He burst through Lord Alaric's door, breathing heavily, and stormed through the deserted rooms. He walked right over the concealed door without realising, and looked out of the window. The low afternoon light tainted everything with a red-orange hue, like dried blood. They were gone.

"Damn..." he cursed, and exited the rooms at a half-run. _If my men don't stop them at the gates, I will have all of their heads on pikes!_ He thought furiously.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Lord Alaric and Alice raced down the worn stones of an old disused servant's passage that ran all the way to the stables, bypassing the main entrances of the castle. The only obstacle after that would be to ride across the expanse of the castle courtyard, and through the drawbridge gates. Lord Alaric hoped they would make it in time.

"What were the rest of the books, Grandfather?" panted Alice from behind him.

"There are thirteen in total," he replied gruffly, "And they cover all the areas of magic that the King is proficient in."

"Why?" asked Alice curiously. They halted briefly to catch their breath.

"The idea is quite simple," he explained, "It seems impossible to defeat the King. But, if a spellcaster, or more likely several spellcasters, can reach the same or higher level in skill as the King, then logically, he _can_ be defeated." Lord Alaric didn't sound completely convinced of the idea. "At the very least," he added, "It may help a clever person uncover a weakness in the King's repertoire. That is why it was necessary for me to get close to the King, to know what he knows, and record it."

"There's no one cleverer than you, Grandfather."

"You think so?" he asked, amused.

"Of course," asserted Alice confidently. "Have you discovered a weakness yet?"

"No, not yet." He grinned at her suddenly, showing his teeth, "But even I have an ace up my sleeve... A risky venture that has taken years of carefl research and subterfuge."

Alice sighed. He was being very mysterious.

"If my efforts pay off," he continued, "Enemies of the King will have a great weapon to use in their fight. That's my contribution to the Quest."

"Well... Which book is it in?" asked Alice, excited.

His eyes twinkled at her. "Now that _would_ be telling..." he laughed, and gestured that they continue.

They were almost at the stables. Beyond that, the gates were still clear... but they wouldn't be for long.


	15. Prequel: The Secret

_What is all the commotion about?_ Paldir wondered, as he watched a group of soldiers hurrying towards the castle's courtyard. He decided to see for himself, and left the kitchens at a trot. He stood in the courtyard, dazed, watching the soldiers running about.

The afternoon sun drenched the courtyard, but the shadows cast by the huge stone walls were getting longer and longer. Soon, the sun would set, and the great gates would be closed. The main gates to the castle in Urubaen were well known for their great size and width. Twenty men standing shoulder to shoulder could fit on the bridge, and for this reason, the gates took a long time to close. Each night at sunset the gates were sealed for the night, so naturally the half-hour before the sun disappeared was the busiest time. Peasants, craftsmen, nobles, soldiers and traders all hurried to get themselves and all their wares into the castle or out of it in time. Making things more chaotic than usual were the king's soldiers, who were attempting to sort through the crowd, searching wagons and the thronging crowd. At the same time, the soldiers formed a blockade of bodies on both sides of the bridge, blocking more people from crossing and scrutinising all who walked off of the bridge.

Paldir saw all the chaos, and realised the guards' intent. They were searching for Lord Alaric and Alice! The King had promised him Alice would be able to stay at the castle, with him, and that Lord Alaric would be punished for his mistreatment. He ducked into the entrance of a small stable to keep out of the way. He got a shock when he suddenly heard hushed voices coming from the depths of the stable. He pressed himself backwards into the bales of hay, eyes wide.

Lord Alaric hoisted Alice out of the concealed trapdoor in the floorboards of the small stable. He went to the nearest horse and saddled the steed quickly, hushing the nervous mount as it pawed the ground. He could hear the commotion outside, but knew they didn't have long. "Alice," he whispered, and lifted her onto the horse. About to lift himself up behind her, Lord Alaric suddenly froze.

Paldir knew, through some sixth sense, that he had been discovered. He panicked, wondering what to do. He was afraid of the fearsome lord. He was afraid of losing his only friend, Alice. He was afraid, he was _afraid_... he was sick of being afraid!

He suddenly got an idea. A terrifyingly simple idea.

He stepped out of the shadows and stood in the entrance of the stable. In front of him was Alice and Lord Alaric. Behind him was their chance at salvation. The bridge was almost clear, the gates still stood wide. Freedom.

"Paldir?" gasped Alice in surprise. "What are you-"

He took a step backwards, into the red light of the setting sun. In full view of the soldiers in the courtyard.

"_Don't_-" started Alice desperately, but it was too late.

Paldir opened his mouth, filled his lungs with all the air he could take in, and yelled, with all his strength, "OVER HERE! THEY'RE OVER HERE!" He pointed into the stable.

Lord Alaric cursed, swung up into the saddle behind Alice and spurred the horse into a gallop. Paldir stumbled backwards as they flashed past him. Lord Alaric cried out aloud in the ancient language, blasting a hole through the throng of soldiers, and thundering across the bridge.

For a few hair-raising moments, Lord Alaric felt that they were going to make it, that the boy had been too late with his warning...

On the battlements, the King, alerted by Paldir's shriek, had time enough to calmly draw a bow and knock an arrow to the string. His cruel eyes narrowed as he looked down the shaft at the fleeing figures on the horse. They had almost crossed the bridge... his soldiers didn't stand a chance against Lord Alaric's spells and impenetrable wards. Muttering a short phrase in the ancient language, the King loosed the arrow.

The arrow arced wide as it flew, whistling as it cut through the air. The arrow didn't obey the laws of nature, however, and sped up, correcting its own course in order to reach it's intended target. As it reached the range of Lord Alaric's wards, it momentarily slowed, as if encountering an unseen force in the air. But it didn't stop. The arrow continued, tearing through the wards to bury itself in Lord Alaric's back squarely.

As it did, the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, plunging the world into a grey twilight.

* * *

Alice was unaware of most things since her grandfather had kicked the horse into a gallop in the stable. The last thing she'd seen, before everything became a bewildering flash of noise and movement, was Paldir's face, twisted into an expression of vicious self-satisfaction. As they thundered across the bridge, the horse heaving up and down beneath them, Alice felt as though she was riding the force of an avalanche. For a second she was thrown forward slightly, as if her grandfather had been struck by a blow from behind, but everything happened so fast, she thought nothing of it at the time.

After the initial shock of the arrow, Lord Alaric rallied himself remarkably quickly. He felt the arrow pierce his back, and even felt the tip sticking out of the front of his chest. He found it hard to breathe- it must have pierced his lung. He cursed under his breath, choking slightly, and concentrated on steering the horse. Touching its mind, he told the horse where to go, and then instantly began chanting the healing spells that would save his life. Healing spells had always been his speciality, and although the wound was serious, he was confident he could heal his organs, even while on a rapidly moving horse.

Alice paid no attention to her grandfather's muttering, assuming he was doing some important magic and shouldn't be disturbed. She focused on the road ahead; the horse had taken several sharp turns up the many quiet country lanes that crisscrossed the lands surrounding Urubaen. Once they had left the greater city and entered the quiet countryside, she felt more relaxed, though still numb from the betrayal she felt at Paldir's actions.

Abruptly, Lord Alaric ceased his stream of muttered spells. He was only getting weaker, and his spells had no effect. He came to a sudden realisation that whatever spell had driven the arrow through his chest, it must have originated from the King. He also realised that it would take him time to pick it apart and devise a counterspell. Time he really didn't have. At the rate he was losing blood...

At this realisation - that there was nothing he could do to halt his own death - he felt an odd sense of peace and new objectivity overcoming him. He was just grateful that he had some time to talk to Alice before the end. It was a rare thing, to know your death. He'd never wanted to go this way, but perhaps it had been inevitable.

The horse slowed to a trot.

All around them, all they could hear was the chirruping of crickets in the night air and the horse's laboured breathing. At least they had managed to outrun the King's soldiers, for now. He hoped that all the detours he'd taken would be enough to give Alice at least a few hours.

"Grandfather?" asked Alice quietly. Why were they stopping already?

Lord Alaric peered through the trees that lined the road. He could just make out an old abandoned shack in an open field just off to their left. It would have to do.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Paldir sniffed. "You promised." He said thickly, blinking up at the King. They stood together on the battlements as night gathered around them.

"Oh, I know. I lied." admitted the King sympathetically, "I _am_ sorry." He gave a sly smile. "But we're alike, you see, you and I," the King said, resting a heavy hand on the small boy's shoulder, "We're liars, traitors..." he leant forward, "_murderers_..." he whispered in the boy's ear.

Paldir stared at him, stricken. "B-but I didn't-"

"Oh my dear boy, by now Lord Alaric is _dead_, a rotting corpse lying in a field somewhere, as sure as we're standing here. And you should be proud! He was your enemy, was he not? And you are the one responsible for vanquishing your enemy." He nodded sombrely. "Calling out as you did bears as much responsibility as the arrow I loosed."

Paldir thought suddenly of Alice, alone out there with the corpse of her grandfather, and he felt quite sick. Reading the thoughts in his mind, the King gave a cruel laugh, "Oh, if she survives, that girl is going to hate you forever," he said jovially, "There's no backsies for killing her beloved grandfather, I can assure you."

Paldir put his face in his hands, numb from the terrible feelings of guilt weighing him down. The King was right!

"But don't be too upset, child," the King said next, suddenly changing tack. His voice was unusually serious, almost fatherly. "_We_ are not really to blame." Paldir looked up. "The world is the thing that is wrong, do you see? We were always on the side of good, you and I, weren't we?We always tried our best." His voice was persuasive, full of conviction and real emotion. "But good was never on _our_ side."

Paldir thought he was making a lot of sense. Hadn't he had the exact same thought, so many times? He could never do anything right, though he tried...

The King shrugged expressively, "So what can we do? How do we deal with an ill-fated destiny?" Paldir blinked up at him. "I'll tell you. We destroy everything that offends us, all of the _unfairness of circumstance_. And then, my friend, we reforge everything anew, we make a _better_ world." He stroked the boy's hair tenderly, "And the people will hate us," he said softly, "She will hate you. That is our burden, mine and yours. But we will carry on regardless because it's... well, it's for the best, isn't it?"

"It's for the best." parroted Paldir, and gazed up at the king adoringly.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Grandfather!" Alice sobbed. A coughing spasm racked his once-strong body. A small trickle of blood ran into his beard from the corner of his pale lips.

He'd barely managed to drag himself into the shack with Alice's help, and she was understandably in shock.

His heart was breaking as he looked into her tear-stained, terrified face. But he must harden his heart, and tell her. His heart was breaking because he knew, he'd always known, that her true pain, her real suffering in this life... was only just beginning.

"Alice," he rasped painfully, "Listen... to me closely..." he struggled to swallow, "I need to tell you something. A secret you can never tell anyone else!" his eyes burned into hers, and through her tears she nodded and tried to focus. "Promise me...!"

"I promise, Grandfather." She swore shakily.

"Good," he said thickly, "Because no one would understand. They would turn on you... so you must never tell _anyone_. Practise those mind exercises... I taught you... _never let anyone in._ Keep the secret... you will be safe."

"I will." She promised, sniffing, "Never tell anyone, cross my heart."

"There's a good girl." He coughed again, weaker this time. "Your mother... My daughter... she was so sweet... so kind..." grief now coloured his voice, and a silver tear leaked out of an eye. "She always had her head... in the clouds. Just like you! You take after her... _don't ever let anyone say different!"_ he said sternly, before his attention wavered again. "They didn't know her like I did..." he rambled, "They don't know you..."

He suddenly became aware, and grabbed her arm, pulling her close. "Listen!" he took a deep rasping breath. "The King... fell in love... with your mother."

Alice stared at him, eyes wide. A yawning chasm seemed to have opened beneath her, and she was terrified of these words which threatened to turn into understanding.

"There was nothing she... anyone... could do. I tried to get her out of the castle..." his voice cracked with ageless heart-break, "But I was too... late... She became pregnant. We hid it... for so long... because we knew he would kill her... and you too." The light in his eyes was beginning to fade. As if sensing the end, he sped up the story, though his voice grew weaker with every word, "The King wants... _needs_... no children... no... _rivals_... he fears this... When he discovered...My daughter begged me to save you... I delivered you early, and kept you secret... That same night, the King..."

"No..."

"... Murdered your mother... thought he'd killed _you _as well."

"No...no...no..." Alice whispered, shivering. She felt an icy numbness taking over her limbs.

"Galbatorix is your father." He croaked, "As far as we know, the only child to have survived... though he had others... only you..."

He blinked up at her, suddenly peaceful. "So now you must be the strong one. Go to Surda," he whispered, his voice starting to fade, "Head for your aunt's. Keep heading south... Jethram will find you... on the way." His grip on her arm slackened. "I know you can make it. Remember... everything I taught you. Remember... the books, the Quest-... It's... up to you now, child..."

His hand fell to the ground.

"Grandfather?" said Alice in a panic, "Grandfather! Don't... don't leave me!"

He smiled, though his eyes had grown too dim to see her face. "You are not like _him_. You are... only Alice. I was always... so... proud..." he said, in a voice softer than a whisper. Then, after one last exhalation, which seemed like it would never end... he died. With the ghost of a smile on his grey face, he looked like a statue. As life left him and his body grew cold, he looked like something inanimate, unnatural. Alice felt the horror of her situation breaking upon her in a wave of hopelessness and terror. She stared at his silent face, while internally she was dying with him a thousand times, replaying the scene, stuck in the cycle.

_"Galbatorix is your father..."_

_"It's up to you now, child..."_

She stayed like that, unmoving, frozen with terror next to the dead body of her grandfather for several hours, until the shadows had grown long and the cold caused her unsteady breath to form wraithlike clouds in front of her. At last, she stood up, a child no longer.

Her hand had somehow found its way into her pocket while she'd been kneeling. She looked at the dirty crystal in her palm blankly. It was no longer an object that gave her any comfort. The expression in her eyes changed slowly, and after a while, she deliberately placed the stone back into her pocket.

* * *

_Meanwhile_...

King Galbatorix stood staring out the window of the topmost room of the tallest tower; his personal chambers. He seemed deep in thought as he watched the first cold rays of dawn emerge, his eyes clouded with memory. On impulse, he walked over to a side-table, where a small portrait of a beautiful, smiling woman lay. He picked it up, and gently touched her painted face. Then an ugly thought crossed his mind, and his face contorted into an expression of mad rage. He threw the portrait across the room violently, as if he could not bear to touch it a second longer. It shattered into fragments against the opposite wall. "The _child_..." he cursed. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Soldiers closed in on the shack, swords drawn and sharp in the early dawn light. A solitary horse was grazing in the field nearby. They kicked open the door and entered, but found only the cold body of a once-powerful man. The child was nowhere to be seen.

They did not notice the small tracks meandering away into the woods, and the child Alice was never found by agents of the King. Her grandfather had taught her well, and although her journey was not easy, and many adventures and dangers would befall her, his words would guide her and they allowed her to survive until she reached safety many, many nights later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last 'prequel' chapter - everything else you need to know about Alice's past will be mentioned in the main story.


	16. The Fight

"You are a stupid, stupid girl!" exploded Blödhgarm, and let off a stream of mingled elvish and dwarvish expletives. Alice flinched and stared at him. He looked a bit unhinged.

She swallowed, "I..."

"You what? You thought you could take on a powerful spell-caster all by yourself? You thought you were being clever by hiding what was really at stake here? You endangered your own life and mine by taking off like that. You're lucky to be alive. If I hadn't arrived-"

"Paldir wouldn't have killed me." She said in a small, yet stubborn voice. "I had it under control!"

For a moment he made a motion towards her, and she flinched, a fight or flight response triggered by the raw rage in his eyes. Then he seemed to catch himself and replied in a tight voice, "That's not how I interpreted the situation."

"Alright then," she said cautiously, her heartrate still galloping from the sheer sense of danger she was getting from him. She hadn't even felt this on-edge around her sworn enemy, a mere few minutes ago.

"Who was this man to you, that you would abandon our plan, leave me to clean up that mess, and put yourself at such risk?!" he demanded. "_Answer me in the ancient language_."

Alice hesitated, opened her mouth, then closed it again. "I will not." she replied in Common, keeping her voice measured, "I had my reasons, which are-"

"That's not good enough!" he snarled, "But you know what, forget it!"

Blödhgarm turned and stalked out of the room. Alice ran to the door. Her voice was hoarse from her injuries, but she was too drained and unfocused to heal herself immediately. "Wh-where are you going?" she croaked after him.

He didn't turn around or slow his pace. "I have my own reports to make. Farewell." He said shortly. He didn't look back and kept walking until he was out of town, at which time he abandoned discretion and broke into a steady loping run, disappearing into the trees.

* * *

Back in the burnt-out room, Alice's knees were suddenly weak in the wake of his wrath. She'd been a fool to leave him, that was true. She'd made a mistake - she should apologise...

But even as she had that thought, she suddenly felt an equally strong wave of indignation rise inside her. He had no idea of what she had been through, in her life, the circumstances that caused her to act the way she had. And he hadn't exactly given her a chance to explain herself. She _had intended_ to explain at least some of her actions - not in the ancient language, that was tricky and she had learnt her lessons with making binding statements - but he took off so quickly.

Actually, he hadn't displayed a high level of maturity himself. Sure, he'd been angry, perhaps it was justified - but to storm off like a child? 

She looked down at the tattered journal that she still clasped in her hand. On the leather cover, the crude outline of a black dragon was inscribed. She traced it gently with one finger. At last, she had twelve of the thirteen volumes in her possession. She had inherited her grandfather's, and her great-grandfather's, life's work, and with one more of the precious volumes in her possession, she may at last soon be able to finish what they had started decades ago.

"_Shruikan_." She murmured, like a reminder of a promise she'd once made. As she said his name, a new, steely glint came into her eye, and she stood up, back straight and proud.

_That's right_, she thought. _I__'ve been through too much in my life to be talked down to by some arrogant elf!_

Although it was true, she should have been honest with him, should have trusted him, right from the start. She knew that now. Her whole life, since her grandfather had died and left her to fend for herself, she'd always known the value of silence, of distrust. It was hard for her to make the decision to reach out to him, but she felt that she would always regret it if she left things as they were.

With this resolution, she set about hiring a horse from a nearby contact, down the street.

What with all the commotion and confusion in town, the man was a little spooked by how she looked; singed clothes and purpling marks around her throat, clutching a satchel of small essentials and a tattered book, but gave her his finest mount in any case, since she paid well.

With a few murmured words in the beast's ear, she was galloping through the streets to the edge of town, calculating where she would most likely intercept Blödhgarm, assuming he was heading straight for the Varden.

* * *

Blödhgarm was still seething as he moved further and further away from town. He was now walking, thinking hard about the possible reasons for the immense anger he'd felt.

It was true, he was somewhat known among his own kind for being short-tempered. Even so, it was not normal for him to lose his temper like that with some insignificant human girl. Indeed, upon reflection he was sure he'd been too hard on her. But when he'd realised that man was about to curse her into oblivion... his throat closed a little at the thought of what might have happened.

And all for a tattered book, which she wouldn't even tell him about!? True, he should have stayed and heard her story. In fact, he felt quite foolish, since he had just stormed away from the one person with all the answers. He had nothing concrete to report about this 'Paldir', now.

A fresh wave of resentment swept through him. Perhaps the reason for his unfounded anger was that _he_ had trusted her completely, utterly, immediately upon meeting her, and had been completely honest and considerate towards her... and in return? She hadn't trusted him, not with one single thing about her 'secret' mission. She hadn't trusted him, she'd used him as a distraction so that she could accomplish her true goal; to confront this 'Paldir', as part of some personal vendetta.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of an approaching rider. He smiled thinly and stepped into the open. _Interesting_, he thought_, so she's thought up something to say after all._

Alice dismounted when she saw him, panting slightly. Blödhgarm noticed she still hadn't healed the bruises on her neck, and wondered if it was on purpose, to provoke his sympathy. He stared coldly at her while she tried to catch her breath.

"I apologise," she said at last, "For not trusting you from the beginning." He was surprised, but remained silent. "I know now that I can trust you... or rather, I knew, even from the beginning, that I could..." She took a deep breath. "The information contained in this journal is crucial in the fight against Galbatorix. It belonged to my grandfather, and is one of thirteen volumes. I possess twelve of the thirteen, but I believe this one is the most important of all." Her voice was earnest, excited, "I believe that what is contained in these pages can literally change the course of this conflict..." she noticed Blödhgarm's sceptical expression. "It really _is_ that important."

"If the book is so important, then why did you lie?"

Alice looked evasive again. "Lie?" she asked hesitantly.

"You were never sent by the Varden, were you? You were simply pursuing him on your own. Does Lady Nasuada even know about this adventure of yours?"

Her expression gave him the answer. He gave a hollow laugh. "I should have realised, there was no way the Varden, even under their incompetent leadership, would send a human _healer_ to track down spellcasters alone-"

Alice bristled. "Firstly, the Varden's leadership is not incompetent. Lady Nasuada is one of the strongest, and most intelligent woman I've ever met." She stepped forward, "And secondly," she said, her voice getting louder, "I never _lied_ to you. I said the Varden were looking for these spellcasters, and that was the truth. There is a group of magicians from Du Vrangr Gata en route even now, I simply had a head start. I only _implied_ that Lady Nasuada sent me. She gave me her blessing to seek the book, and that's all I've done."

"That's rubbish. If you were only after the book you would have told me about it and we would have searched their corpses together. But no- you couldn't resist having a crack at your old friend Paldir first." He said icily. "Did you really think you could take him on alone, or is there something I'm missing?"

"I know Paldir, "she argued rebelliously, "I could've dealt with him even if you hadn't shown up." Alice knew she was blustering even as she said it.

Blödhgarm snorted, and turned away. _Again, she brings up this... relationship with that man._ Somehow it made him feel inexplicably angry. Abruptly he turned back again. "You know what really infuriates me?" he said, with a twisted smile, "Is how you still think you're above reproach-"

"I just apologised for-!"

"No, _you_ don't understand." Now he was the one stalking closer, on the offensive. "My goal was to find and subdue these magicians, and interrogate them if possible. The leader has escaped. The others I had to kill without finding out a damn thing from their minds because I was too busy trying to track you down and _save your life_. Now I have to go and report to my Queen, and the leaders of the Varden, why I let _a little girl_ get in the way of my mission." They were now nose to nose.

Alice was the first one to step back, feeling intimidated. "I-is that all you care about, your mission? Getting a pat on the back from Islanzâdi for a job well done? You're not seeing the bigger picture." she retorted, feeling defensive. Her mouth was dry.

His eyes narrowed, and he looked positively venomous. "That's _Queen_ Islanzâdi to you, girl. Have some respect," he spat. "And I happen to believe that doing the job as my superiors command it _is_ how this war will be won. That _is_ the bigger picture."

He looked down on her contemptuously and started turning away again. "Don't speak about things you can't understand, stupid girl." He sneered.

Alice felt the blood drain from her face. Without thinking, she swung out a hand that would have fetched him a stinging slap across the face, had it not been for his uncanny elvish reflexes. He caught her wrist only centimetres away from his face.

In a temper, Alice tried to yank herself free, but Blödhgarm was in no mood to be considerate and let her go. He bared his fangs at her and tightened his grip.

"You really think I'm beneath you, don't you?" she snarled, livid. She'd no finally lost her temper, too.

Among her peers in the Varden, she had a reputation for being a bit short-tempered.

"I've followed your advice and relied on your experience _this whole time_ without complaint, but don't mistake that for weakness on my part. I'm stronger than I seem, and I will not back down to anyone - even the most narcissistic, arrogant, ignorant of elves I've ever met!" She spat.

Blödhgarm went quiet. He had never been spoken to in this way, in his entire long life. He may be arrogant, but he was old and powerful enough to have earned it. But narcissistic? That was a low blow! Most of all, it stung him to be labelled 'ignorant' by a mere human. Elves had killed each other over lesser insults than these.

"It is a bad idea," he said in a voice of frightening calm, "To provoke an elf." Without even noticing it, his clawed right hand was suddenly at her throat, over the same marks that Paldir had left.

They didn't exert any real pressure, but the feather-light feel of his claws pricking her throat directly over her arteries was infinitely more threatening. She suddenly realised how easy it would be for him to rip out her throat...

She gasped as her back hit the trunk of an old oak tree behind her. She couldn't move; for the second time in a single evening she felt herself in an iron grip. _Huh, this elf would even win in a competition of egos with Paldir, no doubt._ To her immense shame, tears of frustration started running down her face. If only she hadn't expended her magical energy earlier-!

Blödhgarm didn't notice. Alice realised his irises had shrunk to cat-like slits. He was not thinking straight anymore... and she was in deep trouble. For the first time, she felt the first pangs of real fear. Why couldn't she have just kept her mouth shut?

Blödhgarm leant in closer. His sharp teeth, slightly protruding from his half-open mouth, were right in front of her, obscuring her vision. "You are still hiding something." He suddenly said, and his eyes lit up with a terrible curiosity, "Something big... and important. Something no one else knows." He cocked his head. She couldn't look away, like a bird trapped in the gaze of a snake. "Now," he breathed, "I _will_ have the truth."

Suddenly, a ferocious onslaught battered her mind, attempting to gain access by force to her most secret of thoughts. A mind that had felt musical, elegant and inexplicably beautiful before, was now terrifying in its strength, a wild energy that ripped at her mind and threatened to break in. Alice knew instinctively that if she let him into her mind when he was in this state, she may never recover from the damage he'd wreak, intentionally or not. So she resisted... A few seconds ticked by. She struggled to draw breath. A pounding pain built in her temples, and she saw stars. A few of the delicate blood vessels in her nose burst under the pressure, and a stream of hot blood ran down her chin.

Alice took in a ragged breath, and tried to focus her mind. She had trained for this... for years and years, she'd trained her mind. But he was breaking through anyway, finding the cracks and pushing against them mercilessly. In desperation, she stopped trying to empty her mind, and instead let go...

Her mind was a bottomless lake; her surface thoughts reflecting her feelings and experiences, but her deepest secrets were locked far away, untouchable.

_The trick was to forget... temporarily forget everything that had happened... who she was... deny her own existence... to become a non-entity, for a while..._

It was drastic, but she was forced into a corner.

_It was easy, to forget everything, to be nothing... there was no fear, or pain... in a way, it was harder to come back to reality...let it all go..._

* * *

Focusing his mental powers made the red haze that had descended over him start to recede, until he finally came back to himself and was able to think clearly again.

He withdrew his mind from hers, confused. He'd never encountered a mind like this; he hadn't managed to get anything from all his efforts. It was like trying to see into the mind of an inanimate object; there was nowhere to go once he'd broken her defences.

He blinked, and then suddenly realised what he'd done. He snatched his hand away from her throat, as if burned, and then let go of her wrist as well.

"Alice, I lost control, I'm so sorr... A-... Alice?" he stepped back, suddenly scared.

She stood there, as he'd left her, limply leaning against the tree. Her face was blank and grey, placid somehow, like a dumb animal, and _her eyes_... her eyes were hollow, devoid of any kind of life. They were glassy, the pupils only pinpricks. The eyes of the dead.

"_Alice_...?" Blödhgarm whispered, horrified with himself. Had he done this to her? He reached out a tentative hand to touch her cheek, still stained with tears, half expecting it to be stone.

However, even as he reached out, she seemed to reanimate herself. Life slowly returned to her eyes. She swayed, but then staggered away from him as Blödhgarm came forward to support her.

He felt a sharp pang; she didn't want him near her. He'd even made her cry! What kind of a monster was he?!

Alice breathed in deep gasps for a few moments, then suddenly doubled over and retched. When she was done, she straightened up, her back to Blödhgarm, and wiped her face silently.

"Alice, I-" started Blödhgarm weakly, but she interrupted him.

"Any logical person would have admitted defeat, wouldn't they?" she said, her voice rasping, "I'm the fool, for resisting even though I am hopelessly outmatched."

She turned to face him. Her face was pale, but her expression was proud. "I'd do it again, though. I'd appreciate it if you respect my privacy." She stared him down steadily, even as she swayed on the spot. Her weary blue eyes seemed to see into his very soul, and he perceived that she had a warrior's resolve.

Blödhgarm clenched his fists at his sides until blood wept from his palms.

Despite her fragility, her voice was firm and final. "I have my reasons for this."

Blödhgarm could tell that she would die before submitting to force. Although he did not - _could not_ \- know what was so important that she would go to such lengths, he had to respect her strength and resolve.

And he could also appreciate the full wrongness of what he had tried to do in his fit of temper.

He dropped to his knees, head bowed, before her.

She stared at him in shock.

He said in a formal tone, "Please, forgive my appalling behaviour and loss of temper, and the things which I said to you before. You were right, I acted arrogantly without knowing your circumstances. I will always regret my actions on this day."

He then repeated his words in the ancient language, proving that they were his true feelings.

Alice was flabbergasted by this turn of events. One moment he was so angry he almost killed her without meaning to, the next, apologising from the bottom of his heart?! Truly, elves were a capricious people!

"Please, get up." She said quickly. "I'm also sorry for the things I said in anger... I don't really think you are _arrogant_, _narcissistic_ or _ignorant_." Blödhgarm winced a little as she said them again, with a slight inflection in her voice for each adjective.

"I do regret not being more open and honest with you when we first met, and for leaving you... We should have faced him together."

He rose to his feet again and nodded, recognising the maturity in her admission. It only made his own transgressions and loss of control harder to bear. Her pale blue eyes were tired - his gaze flickered to her slender neck, and lingered on the marks there. Perhaps, she was not able to heal them herself...?

Alice didn't know where to look. She was happy that he wasn't angry with her anymore, but now she felt angry with him instead... it was so confusing! Emotions had gotten too heated for it all to be forgotten so soon.

She flinched as he gestured at her bruised neck, but tried to cover up the involuntary movement by shifting in place.

By his stricken expression, she hadn't covered up the movement well enough, though he swallowed hard and merely offered, "May I please heal it for you?" 

"No," she replied quickly, softening the refusal after a moment, "No, I'd prefer to do it myself... I will recover shortly." she didn't know if she could stand to have his hands near her throat just yet. She did appreciate the thoughtfulness, though. "But thanks."

Blödhgarm tried to take this rejection with equanimity as she moved back over to her horse and stiffly mounted up. He kept his distance this time, shifting restlessly in place.

As Alice mounted, she wondered what to say next. She realised that although his actions were shocking, he'd only acted according to his character. She'd been the one to miss all the signs and aggravate him into a state beyond control. She had a better fix on his character now. He was prideful, and arrogant, even violent, but mostly he was good and noble. But above all...

"I have met elves before." she remarked at last, picking her words carefully, "But I never engaged with them on a _personal_ level... And you are no ordinary elf. When we first met, I made a judgement on your character..." she hesitated. "... I thought you were someone I could rely on, but not as a partner." Shame coloured her face. "In other words, someone I could _use_ to further my own goals. I'm not proud of that."

Blödhgarm looked at her, and saw a young woman alone in the world, with the weight of her past and future on her shoulders. And now she wanted to absolve him from his guilt too?

"My actions were absolutely unaccept-" he began arguing, with a frown.

"You can't help who you are." She interrupted with a shrug, and his words died in his throat. "You are a more complex and dangerous person than I could begin to understand... Goodbye, Blödhgarm." She said simply, but firmly. "And... you have my gratitude. For saving my life earlier today. You were right about that, too," she acknowledged with a crooked attempt at a smile. "Even if I was too proud to admit it at first."

"We will meet again," he said with a strange intensity, his yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness as he gazed up at her.

"Perhaps." she allowed after a moment.

"Let's start over, when we meet again?" he asked urgently, feeling a strange pain in his chest as she regarded him with unreadable, guarded blue eyes.

"...Perhaps," she repeated, and after one last lingering look that he couldn't interpret, she murmured to her horse and rode away.


	17. The Apprentice Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The storyline now picks up around the end of Eldest, or the beginning of Brisingr.

_Three weeks after the incident in Lithgow..._

_The day after the Battle of the Burning Plains..._

Nasuada sat straighter in her wooden chair (which felt more like a torture device on her battered body), and tried not to show her extreme exhaustion. Since the battle that had ended not even twentyfour hours ago, she'd had a lot to deal with. Firstly there was the massive clean-up effort, finding those who were injured, recording the dead. Getting those who could still be saved off the battlefield to the healing tents as quickly as possible. This was ongoing, and it had been a headache to find enough able-bodied soldiers to assist and protect the relief crews as they went out. She herself had been involved, doing her rounds across the battlefields and through the healing tents, making herself seen as an example.

The day had dragged out into night and then only in the small hours had she managed to snatch a few hours of rest, before the morning dawned blood-red again (the fumes of the Burning Plains changing the sky to unnatural hues). Then, first Eragon, newly returned from his training in Ellesmera, had come bursting in, dragging his cousin with him, and asked - no, _demanded_, to be allowed to fly off to Helgrind on some foolish mission of revenge and rescue. She was strongly opposed to the idea, yet the fight she'd put up was half-hearted at best. She was tired, and Eragon and his cousin were very persuasive. Where did he find the energy to run around like that right after a battle? He seemed to have changed, since his training in Ellesmera. He was stronger, more mature, more self-assured, than before. She was unsure of him, of how much he'd changed, but in the end, whether through tiredness or a gut feeling that it needed to be done, she'd given her reluctant permission. Eragon was tempestuous, reckless - but at least Saphira would be with him. She trusted that the dragon would keep him from doing anything too extreme. His cousin was an interesting man, to be sure, and one to watch in the future... she rubbed her face worriedly. All these thoughts were spinning around in her head like a dog chasing its tail.

Most of the rest of the day had been filled with similar drama, and she was bone-tired.

But she had to try and concentrate on what was happening in front of her. Jormunder, her advisor and second in command, was giving her a detailed report on the losses and damage done by the battle. After that, she had appointments scheduled with the dwarves, the Urgals, the Du Vrangr Gata, King Orrin... Really, it was the last thing she wanted to be doing, but she could hardly expect her men to do all the heavy lifting when they were just as tired as she was. Even so, she had just about reached her limit. Her injuries had been healed, she'd eaten and drank, but what she really needed was some more sleep.

Elva, recently woken from her induced slumber during the battle, looked up and caught her gaze with those uncanny eyes- she knew exactly what Nasuada was feeling.

The child stood on her tip-toes, cupped a hand around her mouth and whispered in the woman's ear, "Very soon, you will fall asleep in your chair in front of everyone, _Lady Nightstalker_," Her voice was not child-like, but rather cold, sarcastic and slightly amused.

Nasuada sighed. "Jormunder," she interrupted the man.

"My Lady." he was looking at her with compassion- he could tell how tired she was. "I could complete my report and deal with the rest of the rabble in the second meeting tent, if you'd prefer?" he asked tactfully.

She smiled at him gratefully, feeling wretched. The man was probably just as tired as she was. "Please. I'll hear a summary of progress at supper."

He gave a bow, and left quietly.

Lady Nasuada was about to get up and enter her chambers behind her, when she heard a commotion of raised voices outside. Elva gave a giggle.

The tent flaps burst open and Trianna, the leader of the Du Vrangr Gata, stormed in.

"My Lady," she said crossly, brushing off Nasuada's outraged guards, "What I have to say to you cannot 'wait until later'! Du Vrangr Gata is overstretched and we need more space for the wounded-"

"What do you _want_, Trianna?" Nasuada fought to keep the irritation out of her voice.

The younger woman set her jaw, lips thin. "We need more people and we need more tents around the sickbays set up at once. And that... _witch_, seems to have taken off just in our time of need-"

"I _do_ love hearing people speak of me behind my back with such _fondness_," came a cheerful voice from outside the tent. Angela stepped inside, looking with amusement at Trianna, who flushed angrily.

Nasuada sighed and sank back into her chair. _Magic users..._

"And where have _you_ been all this time?" Trianna demanded of her.

Angela pushed past her and nodded to Nasuada. "I was away, briefly, fetching _this_." She pulled Alice into the tent with her.

"Alice!" exclaimed Nasuada in surprise. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

Alice gave a demure curtsey (despite wearing only travel-worn breeches) "My Lady, my apologies for missing the battle. I returned as quickly as I could." She nodded at Elva, who simply stared guardedly back. Like Angela, Alice had recently managed to devise a way to block the effects of Elva's curse a while back, when it had become clear about the girl's abilities. For that reason, Elva was cautious around her, unable to get the upper hand.

"I have at least arrived in time to assist my..." Alice gave a small smile at Trianna, still fuming by the door, "... Esteemed colleagues."

Trianna's eyes flashed, "Indeed, I've been having to take over your job this whole time in addition to my own duties. I thought we agreed that you would oversee all of the healing, and I the combat. Where have you _been_?"

"Doing combat, as it were," quipped Angela. Elva gave a short laugh from her place next to Nasuada.

Alice rolled her eyes at the witch. Turning to Trianna, she got more serious. "I was away, but I had good reasons. And as soon as I have had a short conversation with Lady Nasuada, I shall go straight to the sick bays and take command."

Trianna seemed somewhat mollified. She gave a stiff nod.

"And you should also take a break, you look exhausted. Let Angela and I take over for the rest of the day."

Trianna drew herself up proudly, "That's not necessary. I'll be at the sickbays when you are done _talking_." She swept out of the tent with a brief bow at Lady Nasuada.

"Such a stick in the mud, that girl." Angela remarked airily.

Nasuada gave a weary chuckle, "I'm afraid I am about to fall over myself," she admitted. Her gaze was still strong though, her voice authoritative. "So you'd better make it quick."

Alice nodded. She took out a scroll from the small satchel she carried, and a tattered leather-bound book. "This is a detailed report of the events as they happened in Lithgow," she said, placing the scroll on a table, "And this is the book I was seeking." She placed it in Nasuada's hands.

Nasuada leafed through the book with great interest, "So you were successful!" she said, "I must admit, I was not sure you would succeed in finding it this time..."

"Neither was I," admitted Alice truthfully, "And it wasn't easy." She thought of the fight with Paldir and grimaced to herself.

Nasuada looked at the cover, tracing the figure of the dragon silently. Alice guessed what was on her mind. "I haven't had a chance to investigate the book properly yet." She said, "But it looks as though a lot of it is written in a pretty simple cipher, just like the others. I should be able to decode it relatively easily."

Nasuada nodded. "If you need help, you should see a man called Jeod who has recently joined us. He is a great scholar, and more importantly, he can be trusted with all this."

"A trifle boring, but very smart," added Angela, with a grin. "I'll introduce you sometime. But more importantly... How many do you have now?" enquired Angela casually.

"Twelve of the thirteen," Alice replied. "And I already know where the thirteenth is. It should be easier to recover than this one was, at any rate." She spotted Nasuada's attempt at hiding a yawn."Well, anyway... All the details are in the report, which I'm sure you'll want to read at leisure later. But the short version? I tracked the magicians down, and with the help of an elf I met, we prevailed against them and attained the book. Their leader managed to escape."

"Yes, I have read a report from the elf you mentioned..."

"H-he's here?" asked Alice quickly, heart-rate speeding up. Angela glanced at her, sharp eyes missing nothing.

"No," answered Nasuada absently, still paging through the book, "He dropped off the report at the camp borders about a week ago. Went to meet up with his own people after that, I believe."

Alice looked confused.

"Queen Islanzadi is sending a group of her best elves to assist Eragon in the coming battles," She rubbed her face. "Though I don't know what I'll say when they _do_ get here... Eragon is leaving on some hare-brained personal mission first thing tomorrow with his cousin." Nasuada explained.

"Eragon's leaving so soon?" asked Alice.

"He has a cousin?" Angela queried.

"I know," said Nasuada simply. She handed the book back to Alice. Alice got the hint, curtseyed to the older woman, and gave a brief smile to Elva, then stepped back.

"Oh, and Angela?" Lady Nasuada added, as they turned to leave, "Next time you abandon your post, _please_ let someone know where you're going."

Angela grinned, and pulled Alice into a playful half-hug, "But I had to go and greet my cute apprentice in person."

Alice pushed her away, blushing slightly, "Gerroff me, y'old hag."

"What did you call me?" Angela laughed. They continued bantering as they left the tent together.

Nasuada retired to her chambers, shaking her head. _Magic users..._


	18. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline-wise, some deviations from the book start here. The events of this chapter take place while Eragon is away with Roran rescuing Katrina, and before Lady Nasuada has the Trial of the Long Knives.

Alice was sitting at her table in the healing tents. It was early afternoon, and the day was finally winding down. Since she'd arrived back at camp she'd jumped straight into the role of Head Healer in the aftermath of the battle, but three days later, at last, it seemed like things were under control.

Earlier that day she'd done the last of the amputations, and supervised the last batch of internal injury healings with the help of her assistants from the Du Vrangr Gata. Most of the critical operations were over with; now, just the slow recuperation of those who were injured, like the prevention of infection and complications was left to worry about.

In addition to the satisfaction she got from helping people who might have died if not for her skill, she enjoyed the challenge of healing. For every injury, she would have to craft a spell specific to the patient. The wrong wording or technique could mean death - but she relished the intellectual challenge. Now, in her break, she was writing down some new spells and thoughts in her healing journal - one of the journals her grandfather had left her. It was thicker now: she'd had to add pages to fit her own notes in them, once she'd mastered her grandfather's spells. He'd always been most interested in the healing arts, and she'd followed in his footsteps as a natural progression of his work.

Somehow, it also felt a bit like being close to him.

She was completely absorbed, poring over the thin pages and untidy scrawl of her grandfather's notes. She was looking for his notes on bone healing- she'd had a flash of inspiration about the possibility of bone grafts and marrow transplants, and she wanted to see what he'd already written on the subject.

She was so absorbed, that she didn't notice the stirrings of excitement that was rippling through the camp. People had started talking excitedly, and many were moving off to witness some spectacle at the camp entrance to the north.

Lady Nasuada's retinue passed by, unseen by Alice, but then the tent flaps were pulled back, and Angela's face appeared briefly.

"Hey!" she hissed.

"Wha- ... Angela?" Alice said, startled.

"Come and see!" Angela prodded, "Eragon's protection detail of elves has arrived in camp at last!" Angela's expression was innocent, but that was not a good sign. Angela was _never_ innocent.

Alice blinked a few times, biting her lip. It seemed a little more claustrophobic suddenly in the tent. She looked down at her notes. "I, er... I have lots of work to do." She said, in her best attempt at nonchalance. "I'm sure I'll have time enough to gawk like the others, later."

"Mmm..." said Angela, narrowing her eyes slightly, "Suit yourself." She disappeared.

Alice stared at the quill in her hand with an abstract expression. 

_"Let's start over, when we meet again?" he'd said, a note of urgency in his musical voice._

She gnawed at her lip thoughtfully. What would he say, if they met again?

Unbidden, something approaching anticipation uncurled in the region of her belly.

* * *

_Later that night..._

Alice stood at the entrance to Lady Nasuada's pavilion, as she waited for the guards to announce her arrival.

She carefully kept her bearing proud, but relaxed as she waited patiently. It was in stark contrast to the frenetic activity she'd been engaged in just a half-hour ago - she'd received the invitation and hadn't had a lot of time to clean and dress herself. She'd instantly panicked about what to wear.

As the Head Healer, she was one of the three spellcasters (the others being Trianna and Angela) that were invited to this event, along with other notables, which was intended to welcome the head of the elvish delegation to the Varden. She knew who that was. For some reason, this made her feel anxious about her appearance - though she knew it was ridiculous. But she couldn't help thinking that the last time he'd seen her, she'd mostly been in disguise as a _barmaid_ in the dirty backstreets of Lithgow.

Not that she cared, of course...

At last, she'd managed to find a robe that was suitable. Neither a dress nor breeches, the emerald green robe was well-fitting and clearly feminine, but also practical. Befitting a mage. The material was soft and figure-hugging, with gold thread trim in a delicate pattern of leaves along the edges of her hem and sleeve. Her hair, usually loose or tied up with only a simple strip of cloth, was half up in an elegant bun- some strands were loose and fell just past her shoulders in soft waves.

All in all, she reminded herself that she'd cleaned up pretty well for the time she'd been given.

At the guard's gesture, she walked into the crowded tent with sure steps.

The crowd hushed as Lady Nasuada gave her a friendly smile. Alice gave a demure curtsey back- she hadn't seen her commander since she'd arrived, three days ago, and it was good to see she was looking well-rested and alert once more.

Casting a glance around the room, she noted Trianna, looking stunning as usual, her red dress accentuating her willowy figure. She fought giving in to a jealous sigh - she would never look that good in anything.

Even while she was looking in Trianna's direction, Alice was super-aware of Blödhgarm's presence. How could she not be? Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him standing to her left, with Arya. His eyes were on her.

She ignored him resolutely and approached Lady Nasuada.

* * *

Blödhgarm's expression was serene and implacable as he looked at the newest arrival to the party. He hid his shock at how different she looked without a layer of dirt and rough clothing. She moved differently, too - with a sort of restrained elegance... 

For a human, he mused, she was quite... striking.

"Lady Alice, I'm glad you could come." Lady Nasuada said formally.

Blödhgarm blinked. Lady? Alice was of human nobility?

Lady Nasuada continued, addressing the small crowd of dignitaries and generals of the army, "Lady Alice, despite her relative youth, has taken on the role of Head Healer, and I'm sure I speak for all when I say she has done an admirable job in the post since the Battle of the Burning Plains."

Alice inclined her head graciously, touched and a little flustered to be recognised in this way.

Fredric, the burly weapons' master, whose arm she had splinted herself not two days previous, gave a booming "Hear, hear,", and even Trianna condescended to giving her a stiff nod and a thin smile.

Talk resumed in the tent as Alice approached Nasuada's group. She eyed the drinks' table at the wall with interest- particularly because it served her purpose in ignoring _him_.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blödhgarm take a step forward. There went that plan.

Nasuada nodded at him, "Of course, you have already met Blödhgarm, isn't that so?" she said lightly. Arya and Angela, the only others who were in earshot, looked over at her words.

Alice turned and appraised him at last, her gaze direct, with a razor-thin smile. "Indeed," she said coolly, holding his gaze.

The atmosphere in their corner of the room was suddenly decidedly frigid.

A frown line appeared on Arya's brow, as she looked from Blödhgarm's impassive face to Alice's cool expression. The question was on everyone's mind- what had happened between them?

"Blödhgarm." Acknowledged Alice with a slight inclination of her head.

"Lady Alice." he said neutrally back, making sure to use her formal title. "It's good to see you well."

For a moment, she made no response - and then "Mm," she merely hummed, openly snubbing him as the silence grew awkward.

He narrowed his eyes at her a little. She had a very slight smirk playing around the corners of her mouth, and her eyes showed no hint of fear in them as they met his yellow gaze. She was _challenging_ him... He felt a prickle of electricity run down his spine, but not in anger.

_I'm not afraid of you,_ her eyes were telling him, _And I'll prove it._

Lady Nasuada looked from one to the other perplexedly as their intense eye contact continued longer than seemed socially acceptable.

He decided to test the waters further. "It is impressive to hear of your prowess as a healer, though I am unsurprised, given what I know of you from our last meeting." He remarked politely, into the strained silence.

Her eyes flickered. "I'm glad I am still able to impress you, given you know _so much_ about me... from our last meeting." She replied sarcastically, without a beat. Reminding him of his failure to break into her mind.

He suppressed a wince, but decided to take her up on her challenge. "I only meant to imply that, once again, I must admit your abilities to be remarkable." he said smoothly.

Her eyes glinted with defiance, "The _implications_ of your words, though elegantly put, I cannot help find somewhat patronising."

"How so?"

"If you are to force yourself to _admit_ me remarkable, I hope you will not refer to that which you think of as disadvantages - namely, my race, age, or gender."

Blödhgarm smirked, "And what then? Do you expect me do judge you as an equal, when human spellcasters are relative children in the greater history of magic-"

"I would not presume to try and change your _judgement_ on the matter," Alice interrupted him, "But I would ask that you _treat_ me as you would your own kind."

Blödhgarm raised his eyebrows at her with an arrogant expression. "I take exception to your insinuation that I treat humans with a lesser level of respect than I do elf-kind. You have not the knowledge of my character to judge me so - and as I do not wish to repeat mistakes of the past, I assure you I would not _dare_ to underestimate you in any capacity."

He paused, as she fumed from his bordering-on-sarcastic tone. "However," he continued, unable to resist baiting her further, "Previous experience has not lent me a _great_ deal of respect for human magicians." He gave a supercilious smile, "I have found they often struggle to keep up."

Arya blinked- though this was the viewpoint of many elves, it was surprising to her that he'd actually say that to her face. It was uncharacteristically rude, even if she had insulted him first.

Alice bristled, and retorted acidly, "Well, I'm sure that, in future, if you find yourself waiting for human spellcasters to _catch up_, you should devise some form of diversion to keep yourself occupied." Her eyes raked his form up and down, as her lip curled, "You could use the time to improve your appearance, perhaps - I know that's already an interest of yours."

There was a brief silence, broken only by Angela's delighted cackle. Nasuada and Arya stared with wide eyes, waiting for his reaction.

Alice smiled triumphantly, as Blödhgarm stiffened, knowing she'd hit a nerve.

"Do you have a problem with my appearance?" he demanded irately.

"As a matter of fact, I do." She stated, unperturbed. She was relishing the challenge of their verbal duel. "I much preferred it when we first met, and I could see your actual face, without the mask of the forest cat or wolf or whatever it is." She waved a casual hand at his face.

"So this is your opinion of me." He said, in a low voice. His yellow eyes had captured hers in a cold stare. But she would not look away. She wanted him to know she would stand up for herself.

Suddenly the quality in the room changed; they were standing, quite close, Alice looking up at him defiantly and Blödhgarm looking down at her arrogantly. Their gazes held... for a little _too_ long... It seemed as though they had forgotten the existence of everyone else in the room. Blödhgarm, then Alice's expressions softened slightly.

"Just the face?" he asked mildly, "The rest of me," he gestured at himself, "In your opinion, is acceptable?"

She didn't bat an eyelid at the abrupt change of tone, from menacing to bantering. "Just the face." She affirmed, cracking a tentative smile for the first time. "Don't change anything else."

He nodded. "In future... I'll try not to disappoint." He answered softly.

Alice knew they weren't talking about his appearance any more, and understood; this was his way of apologizing for their last encounter. Her smile strengthened, and he returned it, unrestrained relief and joy in his expressive face.

"May I get you a drink?" enquired Blödhgarm, transitioning back into an impeccable gentleman. He offered his arm.

"Certainly." Replied Alice, accepting it. She curtseyed politely to the rest of the group and then accompanied him across the room.

Angela, Arya and Nasuada watched them go with bemused expressions, unsure of what they'd just witnessed. Nasuada shook her head slightly to herself. _Was that how they usually communicated?_ She wondered, confused. _Now _that_ was a complicated relationship_.


	19. Honesty

Blödhgarm watched her as they approached the drinks table together- his head was spinning slightly from their latest verbal duel. Truly, Alice was a remarkable woman... and a formidable adversary! He could not recall the last time someone had challenged him in the way that a simple conversation with her had. She had a quick mind, and an even quicker tongue, and she'd somehow managed to make an evening that had promised to be inexpressibly tedious quite fascinating. It was as if her presence had heightened the colours in the room somehow... Or was it just that his elvish senses were suddenly on high alert, as if he was in battle? Or in the grips of some strong emotion that he couldn't quite name...

She took a goblet from the table and brought it to her lips. Her eyes, a light sapphire blue, regarded him as she drank. They seemed to be laughing at him, although the rest of her face was carefully inscrutable. Was she happy to see him again, even after all that had happened? He understood her cold greeting as her way of letting him know she wouldn't be bullied by him- and he'd gotten _that_ message loud and clear. He didn't suppose they'd had their last argument... But whatever happened in the future, he felt that they understood each other a little more now.

He took a goblet for himself, and tasted it gingerly- but was pleasantly surprised. It was a young wine, lively and sweet, and quite enjoyable.

Alice noticed his expression. Her mouth quirked up into a smile, "Not so terrible after all, is it?" she teased him.

He gave a lazy grin back, eyes mischievous. "Must be dwarvish." He retorted.

Alice gave a short laugh, dropping her gaze to her goblet. She didn't quite trust herself to meet that smiling expression head-on... it felt like looking directly into the sun.

She raised a hand and brushed a straying strand of her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Blödhgarm inhaled deeply- her scent smelled of rosewater and lavender, mingled with that scent that was indescribably _her_...

"So, you've already met everyone of importance? I seem to have arrived last." She glanced around the room, noting the other dignitaries.

"Yes, I was beginning to think you wouldn't be arriving at all." He replied. Her eyes flickered back up to his.

"I was working late in the healing tents... But one does not ignore a direct order from a superior." She replied with a relaxed smile. Her finger traced the rim of her goblet idly.

Blödhgarm wondered why his scent didn't bother her- most human women he'd met seemed quite overwhelmed by it. It was a coincidence- before he'd encountered humans on his way to Lithgow, he hadn't been aware of this effect. But he wasn't the type to change for the convenience of others, and he had to admit... it was entertaining to watch their reactions. But not so with Alice. Was she just hiding it well? She hadn't been unaffected in their first meeting, he was sure. Now though, she seemed completely unfazed by his presence. For some reason, this annoyed him.

"Shortly after I arrived," Blödhgarm said, watching her expression closely, "I enquired of Nasuada whether you would be attending this evening... I very much desired to see you again." He stated, his voice a little husky.

"You did?" said Alice, momentarily thrown. Involuntarily, a slight blush rose in her cheeks.

His grin widened wickedly. So she wasn't completely immune to him, after all.

"Of course," he continued smoothly, "I feared we parted badly last time, and I am anxious that _this_ time I have the opportunity to prove myself."

Alice seemed to rally herself with a sip of wine, "When Eragon returns, I doubt you will have much time to socialize," she pointed out, thinking practically. She looked up at him a little shyly, "But if you _do_ have some time," she said hesitantly, "I'd very much like to discuss some things with you. If it's not an imposition-"

He swallowed hard... Alice's shy expression was the same as that night when she'd asked to touch his hair- and just like that time, he was powerless to refuse her. He fancied that even if she'd made that expression and requested he chop off his own hand, he'd have a tough time finding the strength to decline. What a curious power.

"... Sure," he said, struggling not to sound _too_ eager to please, "What kind of things?"

Alice smiled. "That books I have?" she said in a low voice, stepping closer to him. He could make out the flecks of grey in her eyes now, and her scent filled his nose, drowning out the malodorous crowd which surrounded them entirely. Almost imperceptibly, he leant in closer, inhaling. He could even feel the slight heat her body gave off, she was so close... involuntarily, the fur on the back of his neck rippled as he suppressed a shiver.

He dragged his mind back to the conversation with an effort. He recalled how important the book had seemed to her... and he was very curious about the story there.

Wholly unaware of the effect she was having on him, Alice continued quietly, "Well, they contain some pretty advanced magic. I would be very grateful for the opinion of a skilled spell-caster such as yourself on some topics." She looked up at him, as if expecting him to refuse at any moment. He looked down at her sombrely, realizing that her request was not lightly made- she was deciding to trust him at last with at least _some_ of her precious secrets.

"I would be honoured to be of assistance in any way I can." He said gallantly. She smiled, and opened her mouth to say something else-

Just then, Arya emerged from the crowd, moving to join them. Alice took a discrete step back from Blödhgarm, and turned to Arya with a polite smile of greeting.

Blödhgarm felt annoyed at Arya's interruption- there was still much he wanted to ask Alice about herself, and the mysterious books. However, he schooled his face back into a mask of serenity and poise, hiding the scowl that threatened to break out across his face. There would surely be time later.

"Lady Alice, it is good to see you again," said Arya, with a razor-thin smile that didn't seem entirely sincere.

Alice answered with some small pleasantries and kept her expression polite. But she felt more on her guard than usual with the elvish woman - she was sensing some hostility emanating from her. Then again, they'd never had much conversation. Perhaps she was usually this way.

Arya appraised Alice with interest- she seemed an ordinary human girl, very young and certainly intelligent; skilled, for her age. But that didn't explain Blödhgarm's seeming fascination for the girl. She'd observed their argument incredulously, angrily even, that Alice had dared speak in that way to him- didn't she know who she was insulting?

Although Blödhgarm hadn't been very polite either, after a while. That perhaps was the most shocking revelation. He was older than this her by several hundred years, and yet, he condescended to bandy words with this... child?

And then abruptly, halfway through their argument, something had changed, and they were bantering like old friends. She was completely nonplussed. Were they _flirting_? It was impossible...

She'd continued watching them from across the room during her brief conversation with Nasuada, but was unable to hear their words above the chatter of other voices. Then she'd seen Alice step close to him, and his expression had gotten serious, _intense_... and she was unable to stifle her curiosity.

"I understand you accompanied Eragon back to Ellesmera?" Alice remarked, "It must have been difficult to pull yourself away again so soon... I have heard many stories of what a remarkable place it is."

Arya's mind flew back to the Agaeti Blödhren ceremony, when Eragon had made his confession... for the sake of propriety, and to spare his feelings, she'd decided to leave early... Fleetingly, her expression hardened slightly, and though Alice didn't see it, Blödhgarm noticed and wondered at it. Then her expression cleared again.

"Yes, I do miss it when abroad... But I have been a traveller for a long time now, and that has its own merits." Arya answered, a little dismissively. "As I understand, you were also on the road- in Surda, I believe- up until only a few days ago." she said. "And you met each other during that time?" she glanced at Blödhgarm, then her eyes snapped back to Alice.

Her words were polite, but her voice had steel in it- Alice felt like she was being interrogated. Blödhgarm's eyes darkened a little- he didn't like the way she was eyeing Alice.

"That's right," he answered before Alice could, "We took down a group of Galbatorix's magicians together." _That was the short version, anyway_.

Alice smiled at him, one eyebrow raised, "As I recall, _you_ did all the real work... I only complicated things unnecessarily."

"While that is true," he replied with a grin and a shrug, "I could hardly admit that and still remain on your good side."

"How noble of you," she replied laughingly, "But admitting to it now makes you seem rather dishonest."

"How can I be dishonest while admitting my dishonesty?" he retorted glibly.

Alice raised a hand, smiling, "There, you have defeated me! As a compromise, I would ask that you _always_ be honest about your deceptions." Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Arya watched this exchange in silent indignation- it was as if they had forgotten her presence entirely! No, that wasn't right- Blödhgarm was doing it deliberately, steering the conversation away from whatever had happened between them in Surda. Well, she could take a hint- he must have his reasons, however unreasonable they may _seem_... she stalked off, leaving them to their verbal tennis-match.

Alice and Blödhgarm kept each other entertained throughout the evening, occasionally joined by others. Blödhgarm at his most charming was, at times, completely different to the serious elf she'd met that first night in Lithgow, or when he'd lost his temper with her at their last meeting. Alice was seeing another side to him- a side that was engaging, at times hilarious, always playful. She had to keep on her toes while talking to him, but held her own almost effortlessly. Talking to him, the hours slipped by with ease.

She didn't forget that he also had those other sides to his character. He was not to be underestimated, however friendly and polite he seemed. She realized: when he argued with her, and let his arrogance and conceit show, _that_ was his true self. He was reckless, _impetuous_, in thought and action, but most of the time, he showed a carefully polite mask to the world. His arrogant tone, his condescension instantly riled her up, but he was also capable of acknowledging his faults and weaknesses.

She found herself getting lost in his mesmerising yellow eyes...

After the gathering broke up for the night, Alice and Blödhgarm were among the last to depart. They organised to meet after lunch outside the healing tents the very next day, to discuss the books.

Walking back to her tent, alone, Alice gave a deep sigh, and stared up at the stars far above her. She couldn't help this overwhelming feeling. _I'll see him tomorrow_. The thought made her breathless with excitement, and she cursed her own foolishness.

She knew it could only end in heartbreak - he probably still thought of her as a _stupid girl_, underneath all the flattering smiles... but she couldn't help the stirrings of giddy excitement, as she thought, _I'll see him tomorrow..._


End file.
